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Ask Amy: Should I keep offering ‘prayers’ although ultimately it’s an empty phrase to me?
Dear Amy: Every time I write or verbally express "thoughts and prayers," I feel like a fraud. It feels completely empty to me.
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Ask Amy: I like to be at the airport with time to spare
Dear Amy: My wife, on the other hand, loves to cut it close.
Ask Amy: What should I give to my new neighbors?
I appreciate your friendly spirit, but I do NOT think it is a good idea to knock on strangers’ doors, even if they are your neighbors, writes Amy Dickinson.
Ask Amy: Family not supportive of trans nephew
Dear Amy: Any advice on how to be supportive without stirring the pot?
Ask Amy: Family struggling after homicide-suicide
Dear Amy: Two years ago, my family experienced the tragedy of a homicide-suicide by a beloved family member.
Ask Amy: My husband has become creatively mean
Dear Amy: He knows this bothers me and continues to poke fun, regardless.
Ask Amy: Is it OK if I write the cards?
If your “love language” is giving gifts (it obviously is), then go ahead and do it, take responsibility for it, and write the cards in your own voice, writes Amy Dickinson.
Ask Amy: A fresh divorce brings on new questions
Dear Amy: To be honest we have no idea why they stayed together as long as they did.
Ask Amy: I thought this was a girls weekend. She’s bringing her husband.
Younger couples sometimes feel the need to do every single thing together (more seasoned couples offer one another more latitude), and I have a theory that “Annie’s” husband might have wheeled his way in, writes Amy Dickinson.
Ask Amy: Why didn’t they invite me to their baby showers?
Dear Amy: I am incredibly hurt by not being invited to either of my two employees’ baby showers. It’s just the three of us in this office.
Ask Amy: Sorority sisters are still mean girls
Don’t you wonder how these mean girls turned out? Aren’t you curious about how they would respond if you asked them to explain the dynamic and their behavior from so long ago?
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Ask Anna: When a former partner refuses to disclose his STI status to new people
Accountability, respect and empathy should be at the heart of all our relationships and communities.
Ask Amy: My neighbor keeps opening my mail
Dear Amy: In my mailbox today was a credit card bill addressed to my husband with a sticky note attached.
Ask Amy: Vietnam War casts long shadow over family
Dear Amy: More than 50 years ago, my sister married a guy who skipped the States after being drafted into the US Army (it was during the Vietnam War). My mother was totally against my sister marrying this guy because he was on the lam.
Ask Amy: None of my children acknowledge my gifts
Dear Amy: Every year I give the children thousands of dollars. I give my oldest three times as much because she has been ill for several years, even though she refuses to see a traditional doctor. The middle child will thank me if I ask if the money has shown up in their children’s accounts.
Ask Amy: Husband’s morals have changed
Diving into the points you raise, yes – your husband has drifted away from your church – and you, writes Amy Dickinson.
Ask Amy: I judge myself for staying with him
Dear Amy: He wined and dined her, slept with her often — during his lunch break from work, used work excuses to spend the night in hotels with her, and even took her on vacation while he was at a bachelor party in Mexico.
Ask Amy: Does the guilt ever go away?
Dear Amy: I understand my former partner’s pain. I never wanted to hurt her.
Ask Amy: My wife will not forgive and move on
Dear Amy: She barely speaks to my family when we visit them every other year.
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Ask Anna: On supporting a partner whose parent has passed away
It's important to remember that everyone grieves differently and there is no right way to feel after the death of a loved one.
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Ask Amy: Is honesty the best policy?
Dear Amy: What do I ‘owe’ to my partner to meet his stated need to be totally open and honest in our relationship? What are my other friends and loved ones entitled to in terms of my discretion?
Ask Amy: My daughter-in-law regifted a handbag to me
Dear Amy: I feel disrespected and unappreciated for everything I do.
Ask Amy: My wife has become a mean drunk
Dear Amy: Every time she gets drunk, she attacks me and brings up how much better off she and I would be if I hadn’t spent my savings staying near my “fat loser daughter.”
Ask Amy: My mother-in-law put down my degree at graduation
Dear Amy: She said that my graduation ceremony was really for my husband because he supported me through school.
Ask Amy: Writers’ group dominated by one person
Dear Amy: I’m ready to shout: “Will you please just shut up?!”
Ask Amy: My milestones are not acknowledged at work
Dear Amy: My milestone anniversary with the company passed without note, as did a milestone birthday. When I had major surgery . . . nothing.
Ask Amy: My friend never repaid a loan
Dear Amy: Nearly a year ago Thomas asked for a loan of $1,000 to catch up on child support. We agreed that he could pay me back in cash – or do work around my house. Nothing has ever happened.
Ask Amy: Grandma not following parents’ rules set for children
Dear Amy: We don’t allow our children to be on social media and Grandma A helped our older child create an account to use at her house.
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Ask Anna: Don’t ignore these 5 red flags when starting a new relationship
As you continue to hone your intuition, here are some of the most common red flags to watch out for while dating.
Ask Amy: My husband is always on his phone
Dear Amy: Even when our 11-month-old is practicing walking, he holds her by the arm as he walks with his eyes glued to his other hand, which is holding the phone.