Dear Annie: After 26 years of marriage, I divorced my wife. I had been unhappy for a long time, but I stayed until our two children finished college because I wanted to keep the family together for them. There had been years of tension between my wife and me, much of it surrounding finances and responsibility. When our children were young, she left a well-paying job without discussing it with me and never returned to the workforce. I became responsible for supporting the family, and resentment b

Dear Annie: My 86-year-old mom recently had a fall. I rushed her to the ER, where doctors found a small brain bleed. She was home within 48 hours, saying she felt fine and that the bleeding had stopped. But three days later, she developed strokelike symptoms, and I called 911. She spent the next month in the hospital and rehab, suffering a second brain bleed and seven seizures. I was there every day helping feed and care for her. Not one of her friends visited her the entire time. Now that she's

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married for 18 years, and lately I feel more like his housemate than his wife. He loves golf and plays nearly every Saturday and Sunday, often leaving before breakfast and coming home late in the afternoon. During the week, he sneaks in time at the driving range or spends the evening watching golf on television. When our children were younger, weekends were filled with soccer games, birthday parties and family dinners. Now that they are teenagers and becomi

Dear Annie: My husband and I recently welcomed our first baby, and we are exhausted but overjoyed. We live in an apartment building, and after weeks of trial and error, we finally started getting our daughter onto a somewhat predictable sleep schedule. The problem is our next-door neighbor's dog. It barks at everything: people in the hallway, delivery workers, car doors and even the elevator bell. Just when I get the baby down for a nap, the barking starts and wakes her up. Then she becomes over

Dear Annie: My younger sister has always been the favorite in our family. My parents would never admit it, but the difference has been obvious for as long as I can remember. She was the charming, carefree one, while I was expected to be responsible, helpful and mature. That pattern has followed us into adulthood. My sister is often late, forgets birthdays and cancels plans at the last minute. My parents always laugh it off and say, "That's just how she is." Meanwhile, I am the one who makes rest

Dear Annie: My mom and I have always had a weird relationship. Throughout my childhood, I always considered us close, even when she moved hours away to the other side of the state when I was in middle school. We would talk regularly, and I would go see her for summer and winter breaks. When I graduated high school, I happily made the move to live with her. Throughout the years of living with her, I started to see her true colors coming out. I learned my mom is a habitual liar, is manipulative, h

Dear Annie: My mom and I have always been close. I'm 35 now, but we talk almost every day, even though she's in Virginia, where I grew up, and I moved to Washington state after college. We make an effort to see each other as much as possible, but of course, it's never enough. Recently, a work trip brought her to San Francisco, but I didn't find out until she was already boarding the plane. San Francisco is a lot closer to me than Virginia is. I couldn't help but think that if the situation were

Dear Annie: I am a working mother of two young children, and lately the guilt is eating me alive. I love my job. I worked hard to get where I am. But every morning when I leave the house, my 4-year-old asks why I have to go again, and my heart sinks. My husband is supportive. We have good childcare. Still, I feel like I am missing the little moments. The slow breakfasts. The preschool pickup stories. The random hugs in the middle of the day. By the time I get home, I am often tired and still che

Dear Annie: I am an 86-year-old mother of three children, a grandmother of six and great-grandmother of eight. We have always had a great relationship with our children. Our youngest daughter, who has always been close to us, went through a stressful divorce. Her husband had an affair, and she divorced him. She always came home every few months, or we went to see her. In the past few years, she has only come home twice a year, only for a day or so at a time. I am no longer driving, so going to v

Dear Annie: I've been married for 35 years and have four children and seven grandchildren. We are a blended family. All the children lived with, and were raised by, my husband and me. One of my daughters was always kind of a black sheep, always doing things outside the box. As a young child, teen and adult, she always did it differently. So much so that, as she got older, it actually started to hurt our family and the other children. She moved out in her early 20s, and I thought things would get

Dear Annie: My wife (40) and I (53) have been married for almost a year and a half. A few weeks ago, she moved out and took our daughters, ages 3 and 4, with her. When she left, she said they'd be back that evening. They haven't returned. I haven't seen or spoken to my girls in almost a month. When I ask to see or talk to them, my wife says she's asked the children and they've said no, and that she doesn't want to pressure them or cause them stress. My wife insists she's protecting them because

Dear Annie: My husband and I are in our 70s, and although our adult children live nearby, they rarely visit us. It is always considered "more convenient" for us to go to them. For years, I decorated our home from top to bottom for Christmas. I loved the tree, the lights and the feeling that I was creating something special for our family. But now I find myself wondering why I bother. On Christmas Eve, we may see one of our children's families for three hours. Half the time, the adults fall aslee

Dear Annie: I am heartbroken over my daughter-in-law's sudden and painful change in behavior since the birth of our grandson a year ago. Before the baby was born, we had a warm relationship. For four years, she was sweet, kind and very much a part of our large extended family. She joined family trips, holidays and even our "happy birthday" text chains. We truly believed she felt invested in us. Since giving birth, however, she has almost completely cut off communication. She rarely answers texts

Dear Annie: My 15-year-old daughter was given a piece of sentimental jewelry on the day of her grandmother's funeral. It had belonged to her grandmother, and the gesture was meant to be a beautiful way for my daughter to carry a piece of her with her. At the time, my daughter seemed touched. She wore it a few times, and I remember feeling comforted seeing it on her, as if this small object helped connect the generations during a very sad time. Now, only a few months later, I fear the jewelry has

Dear Annie: My best friend has become impossible to make plans with. She says yes to everything, then cancels at the last minute with a vague excuse. Sometimes she says she is "too tired," other times she says work got crazy, and once she forgot completely until I texted from the restaurant asking if she was on her way. The worst was when I saw on social media that she had gone out with another group the same night she canceled on me because she "needed a quiet night." I know people are busy, an