Opinions

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are retired and happy. Each of us was married before. We’re not rich, but we get by without help from anyone. We have been blessed with a big family. Between us, we have six children, 15 grandchildren and a great grandchild.

DEAR ABBY: Ten years ago, I connected with “Christi,” a daughter I fathered with a woman I was in a relationship with for a short time decades ago. We split before Christi was born. My ex-girlfriend didn’t tell me about her until after she was born.

Simply kick and scream and pout until God makes everything good for you again. Maybe that way of dealing with your problems seems like a good idea to you. After all, you have been told repeatedly all your life that He is a good and loving God, who always wants the best for you.

Among other things, the holidays are a time of giving and receiving gifts. The question most often asked of people is, “what did you get?” Much less frequently asked is, “what did you give?” Invariably, the inquiries concern material gifts.

Memories from my childhood of Christmas included the morning we woke, hurried to the tree to see presents ’Santa’ brought. We could smell the cedar tree, the apples and oranges that were always in a big bowl nestled in pecans and walnuts.

DEAR ABBY: As my parents have aged, my father has been misremembering things or making wrong assumptions. It has increasingly gotten on my mom’s nerves (she has also become more impatient and snappy lately), and she has been yelling at him in response.

DEAR ABBY: I had a friend, “Mylene,” for many years. We swapped dog-sitting to offset the cost for each other. I helped her when she was sick and broke her foot. I walked her dog whenever she needed me. If a funeral, wedding or family emergency came up, I was always there for her.

DEAR ABBY: I’ve been married to a narcissist for 28 years. He has gaslighted me for our entire 30 years together. He has had a “work wife,” a flirtation with the next-door neighbor hottie, and he paid for two sexy girls’ dinners (and pies to go) because they happened to be in line in front of us.

DEAR ABBY: I’m a twice-divorced woman who has no children. I was raised by two deeply religious parents (now deceased) who attended church every Sunday and took me along. I regularly attended church until 15 years ago.

DEAR ABBY: I am a teacher. I love my job, and I love my students. However, as I near the end of my 26th year of teaching, there’s something I need to get off my chest.