advice column

Dear Amy: “Liz” and I worked together for a short time nearly 20 years ago. She was excellent at her work and was an officer in a national organization in our field. We have not seen one another in years. We’ve spoken on the phone one…

Dear Amy: I am the “maid of honor” for my best friend’s wedding, which is happening this summer. It’s a big job and I have done my very best to step up in all of the expected ways. Like other people who have faced this demanding role, it…

Dear Amy: I am the “maid of honor” for my best friend’s wedding, which is happening this summer. It’s a big job and I have done my very best to step up in all of the expected ways. Like other people who have faced this demanding role, it…

Dear Amy: We are having an issue with our daughter and son-in-law regarding the use of a guesthouse. They live a day’s drive from us, so when we visit we like to stay for several days. We try to visit at least monthly. We decided to find…

Dear Amy: I moved to a semi-rural area for a public-facing job. One way I am trying to meet people is by hosting small dinner gatherings where I invite a group of people whom I think might make for interesting conversation. These people…

Dear Amy: I am a manager at my job. Last June, a new employee transferred from a different unit. She was very upset the first couple of days. She also had a fear of reporting to her new supervisor (not me) because she thought she “looked…

Dear Amy: I am an art historian, out of graduate school for about five years. I am now pursuing my Ph.D., also teaching, and am starting to get invited to do presentations and sit on panels at academic conferences. My problem is that my…

Dear Amy: My father in-law is a retired law enforcement officer. Due to scientific advances since his retirement, it turns out that much of his career was a sham. DNA evidence has exonerated many of the people that he put behind bars —…

Dear Amy: My brother and I have always had a tenuous relationship. Our father was abusive, but we are both in mid-life and have led fairly successful and stable lives. I often have to walk on eggshells when speaking with my brother…

Dear Amy: I’m a mid-50s mother of adult children. I have healthy relationships with my folks, siblings, children, and my loving partner. All that said: I crave being alone. I have never lived alone. I lived with my family, then in dorms,…

Dear Amy: Twenty years ago, “Sadie” and I divorced after 12 years of marriage and two children. Sadie developed a cocaine habit, which destroyed our finances and threw us into debt. She also had a string of affairs and then divorced me.…

Dear Amy: Sometimes, I want some help with a skill. For example: skiing. I’m a perfectly competent skier, but I know I have some quirks in my form, and some one-on-one targeted work with an instructor might help me to straighten them…

Dear Amy: My husband and I are in our mid-30’s. We’ve been together for 10 years. During the course of our marriage, we have traveled a lot and have had some wonderful adventures. We’ve been talking about whether we should have children,…

Dear Amy: Recently an out-of-state couple moved into our neighborhood, due to being transferred by their workplaces. These people are charming, but the problem is that they smoke. Their clothes, their house and their cars smell like…

Dear Readers: Periodically, I ask readers for “Updates” regarding their questions which have been published in this space. I enjoy communicating with readers, and, for those who have generously allowed their questions to be published, I…

Dear Amy: Eight months ago, I ran into an old flame. We had a three-year relationship that ended 10 years ago. We did not stay in touch after our breakup, and we both moved on with other people for longer relationships. We each broke up…

Dear Amy: My husband and I are Israeli-American. We live in the United States and have one child — an infant. Before children, we agreed on a three-child minimum, but now that we have our baby, I feel very strongly about being a…

Dear Amy: I mow lawns as a side gig. Several months ago, my lawn mower quit working and one of the people I mow for (the “Smiths”) offered to let me use theirs. I accepted their offer, and told them that as long as I used their lawn…