Annie's Mailbox� from Creators Syndicate

Annie's Mailbox®, April 24 for 04/24/2008

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: I recently found out that when my daughter was 7 years old, she was raped at least three times by her 13-year-old cousin. She had been holding this in and finally had an emotional meltdown. The timing of these incidents happened when her father and I were going through a separation.

The cousin who did this is now 24. His mother spoke with him, and he said he recalled one of t ...

Updated: Thu Apr 24, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, April 25 for 04/25/2008

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: My husband is very close to his sister, "Cynthia." I also like her very much, as does our 16-year-old daughter.

Since Cynthia lives in another state, we see her only a few times a year and she usually stays in our home. We often spend two or three hours sitting around the dining room table talking about our families, our lives, our jobs, etc., but then the conversat ...

Updated: Fri Apr 25, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, April 26 for 04/26/2008

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: Several years ago, my husband quit drinking. He did not discuss his decision with me or anyone else. He does not attend AA meetings.

"Bob" has become an attentive partner and a man I love and respect deeply, but he also has become reclusive. He will gladly spend time with me and our adult children, but nobody else. We never get invited anywhere anymore because we ha ...

Updated: Sat Apr 26, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, April 27 for 04/27/2008

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: I am a 24-year-old male. Four months ago, my girlfriend and I broke up after three years together. "Felicity" wanted the split. I still love her.

We had our share of problems and I have some trust issues. I also was very critical and didn't let her be herself. Near the end, I suspected she was seeing someone else, although she insisted he was just a friend. But when ...

Updated: Sun Apr 27, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, April 28 for 04/28/2008

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: I recently discovered that my husband is addicted to painkillers. He buys them illegally from people (he calls them "friends") on the street.

I have noticed a marked change in his personality since he's been taking the drugs. I know this is common in drug abusers, but I need to clarify whether his behavior constitutes emotional abuse.

For example, we had a di ...

Updated: Mon Apr 28, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, April 29 for 04/29/2008

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: My daughter, "Meg," moved to Florida to attend college and graduate school. She is now engaged to a nice young man and will marry in June.

My daughter has always been very flat chested, like me. On my last visit, however, I noticed there was an increase in her bust size that was unmistakably the real deal. I asked her when she had undergone breast augmentation. She ...

Updated: Tue Apr 29, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, April 30 for 04/30/2008

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: My sister, "Ruth," is 10 years younger than me. She thinks I am the spoiled one and I am convinced she is.

Ruth lives in another state and has not visited my home in years. She telephoned about coming for Christmas, and my husband and I were thrilled and excited. However, he advised that she be told (in a nice way) about our various allergies, and that we tell her o ...

Updated: Wed Apr 30, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, May 1 for 05/01/2008

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: My mother-in-law has been living with us for 16 years. She hasn't said one word to my wife in six months. She hasn't spoken to me for well over 10 years. There is no cooperation from her whatsoever.

Meanwhile, our living situation has deteriorated and Mom refuses any of our efforts to have her live elsewhere. Our attorney says the only way to remove her is by eviction.

Updated: Thu May 01, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, May 2 for 05/02/2008

Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: My husband has a female friend who makes me uncomfortable. Even though he says they are only friends, I don't like it. I have tried to accept the friendship because they are co-workers, but I just can't.

We have always had a good marriage. Since this woman entered the picture, 90 percent of our arguments are about her. I trust my husband, but I'm realistic. I know friendships ...

Updated: Fri May 02, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, May 3 for 05/03/2008

Sat, 03 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: My parents are not in good health. They live off their Social Security checks and take care of my 42-year-old disabled sister. My 38-year-old brother, "George," has a wife and children of his own, but still gets money from my parents. They've spent thousands of dollars on his cars, house down payments, etc.

George recently told my parents he has cancer and would lik ...

Updated: Sat May 03, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, May 4 for 05/04/2008

Sun, 04 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: I have known my dear friend "Alice" for 40 years. She remarried two years ago and lives in another state. Her husband has always given me an awful feeling. He is very disrespectful, refuses to hold down a job and doesn't appreciate a thing my hardworking girlfriend does for him. She has supported him from Day One.

Last week, a mutual friend sent me online informatio ...

Updated: Sun May 04, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, May 5 for 05/05/2008

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: How would you profile a 33-year-old man who will not let his 31-year-old wife wear a bra? At night, on weekends and almost any other time I am not at work, my husband insists I go braless.

At 31, and being fairly well-endowed, I am concerned that my breasts will sag from the lack of support. I haven't seen any evidence of that yet, but still, the dresses my husband likes me t ...

Updated: Mon May 05, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, May 6 for 05/06/2008

Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: I am 62 and have been married for three years to "Ken," who is 68. We're both retired.

When I met him, Ken was very kind. There were flowers and gifts for no reason at all. We took trips and enjoyed life. Once we married, however, it seemed there was nothing I could do to make him happy. I keep a clean house. I weigh only 130 pounds. I enjoy having sex, but Ken will ...

Updated: Tue May 06, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, May 7 for 05/07/2008

Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: My daughter-in-law is a danger to herself and others. "Dotty" has been repeatedly arrested for drunk and/or disorderly behavior. She physically hurts her 6-year-old son, and verbally abuses and physically beats on her husband. He and others have called the police on her, and she has spent some time in rehab. But she is in denial that she has a problem. Her young child is s ...

Updated: Wed May 07, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, May 8 for 05/08/2008

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: I am deeply involved with a wonderful man. I was charmed by the fact that "Arnie" remained undressed until it was time to leave the house. I soon joined him and enjoyed eating breakfast in the buff.

Arnie is Dutch and was raised in a house where nudity was the norm. His parents and siblings all slept in the nude, soaked in the family hot tub together and visited nud ...

Updated: Thu May 08, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, May 9 for 05/09/2008

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: I met my present husband, "Tom," a few months after my divorce, and he's everything I ever dreamed of in a husband. Right now, we live 60 miles apart because of our jobs. Tom will retire next year and wants to live where I am, but he'll need to sell his house. The problem is his 21-year-old son, "Chip," who lives with him.

Chip lives in the basement, which ...

Updated: Fri May 09, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, May 10 for 05/10/2008

Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: Except for a five-month period when I was married, I've lived with my father my entire life. My great-grandma lived with Dad, even while he was married. This means my father has never lived alone.

My boyfriend and I plan to get a house soon, and I haven't told my father. Dad truly cannot be by himself, and he's very unpleasant when he doesn't get his way. I love him to death, ...

Updated: Sat May 10, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, May 11 for 05/11/2008

Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Readers: Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms in the world. Please remember them today -- and every day. Each year, we receive dozens of poems from readers who ask us to print them on Mother's Day. Here are a few for your enjoyment:

They were lovely, all the mothers

of the days of long ago,

With their gentle, quiet faces

And their hair as white as ...

Updated: Sun May 11, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, May 12 for 05/12/2008

Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: I have been married to a great guy for over a year. We have a fantastic marriage, with one problem. Three months after we wed, our sex life slowed to a trickle. Before we married, we were having sex four or five times a week. Now it's less than once a month, and the change happened suddenly. We are young and in the prime of our lives, yet he is completely uninterested in having sex ...

Updated: Mon May 12, 2008

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Annie's Mailbox®, May 13 for 05/13/2008

Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Annie: My wife and I have been married for 30 years. We love each other madly. We worked in the same office for 15 years and retired at the same time, so we see each other constantly and almost exclusively as, by choice, we have few friends.

My wife has always had mood swings. She becomes very sensitive to the slightest perceived criticism, withdrawing into a chilling silence. In th ...

Updated: Tue May 13, 2008

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