Dear Abby

DECORUM IN DOCTOR'S OFFICE SEEMS TO BE IN SHORT SUPPLY

Sat Jul 26, 7:58 PM ET

DEAR ABBY: I work in a medical office and would like your help in asking patients when entering the clinic to please respect the privacy of the people ahead of them and not peer over their shoulders when they sign in. It is not only rude, but also a violation of HIPAA privacy laws.

View: Headlines Only | Include Summaries | Include Photos

SISTER CAN'T KNIT TOGETHER FAMILY TORN BY ITS HISTORY Fri Jul 25, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: My half-brother, "Jace," and I had a complicated childhood. My father had an explosive temper and a disdain for children in general. He was abusive, and our mentally ill mother was absent during his rages.
MAN'S DISTANCE FROM MOTHER IS CAUSE FOR WIFE'S CONCERN Thu Jul 24, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: My wife thinks I have a problem because I do not have a close relationship with my mother. We go for weeks without talking or seeing each other, and it doesn't bother me. Since I was about 13, my parents were hardly ever around. My mom was a workaholic, and my dad was an alcoholic, so I became totally self-sufficient.
FRIEND ADVISES PUNSTER TO GO SLOW WITH NEW COLLEAGUES Wed Jul 23, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: My significant other helped me find a wonderful job with intelligent people. I'm an inveterate punster -- "If I put a leafy green vegetable on the barbecue, will it be chard?"
SUMMER HEAT TURNS LOCKED CAR INTO FURNACE FOR HELPLESS PET Tue Jul 22, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: The letter from "No Dogs in the Car" you printed last year (Aug. 6) appeared one day too late for me.
GUARDIAN'S CANCER DIAGNOSIS PUTS BOY'S FUTURE IN QUESTION Mon Jul 21, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: My cousin's 9-year-old son, "Andy," has been living with me for the past few years. Now my husband has been diagnosed with cancer, and I must return Andy to his mother.
DYING WOMAN'S HOSTILITY IS TEARING HER SISTER APART Sun Jul 20, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: Please help me -- I am in pieces. My sister is dying of cancer. She has shut me out of her life and has become very hostile toward me. This is breaking my heart, and I don't know how to deal with it. I have done nothing to offend her, and I don't understand why she is acting this way.
FAMILY INCREDULOUS AT BIRTH OF UNEXPECTED BUNDLE OF JOY Sat Jul 19, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: Our son "Sean" is 20 and has been going with a girl 2 1/2 years older than he is. I'll call her "Taryn." When we first met Taryn we liked her very much. She was chubby, and Sean told us she was on a diet. We found out later Taryn was 5 1/2 months pregnant.
FATHER LAMENTS CONVERSATION GAP WITH HIS ONLY DAUGHTER Fri Jul 18, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: I am the father of a middle-aged, unmarried, well-educated daughter I'll call "Yvette." My problem is, whether we're together or talking on the phone, Yvette seems to find it difficult to converse with me.
FRIENDS PITCH IN TO HELP KEEP WEDDING COSTS UNDER CONTROL Thu Jul 17, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: I had to laugh when I saw the letter from "Not Sure If I Do" (May 8), who hesitated to attend a potluck wedding at which guests would be expected to pitch in and do dishes.
MOM'S RELUCTANCE TO DISCUSS SEX PUTS DAUGHTERS AT RISK Wed Jul 16, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: My 17-year-old niece, "Nicki," was recently diagnosed with an STD. When her mother, my sister-in-law "Cynthia," found out she was horrified. She had ignored several family members -- including me -- who had tried to warn her that Nicki was sexually active and not taking proper precautions.
NEWSPAPER TUG-OF-WAR COULD BECOME RACE TO THE BATHROOM Tue Jul 15, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: I love your column. Unfortunately, it appears on the same page as the comics and Sudoku puzzle in our newspaper. Every morning my boyfriend drinks a cup of coffee and then disappears into the bathroom for a good 15 minutes -- even longer on weekends -- with your section of the paper. Half the time I never get it back, and if I do it's never in fresh, crisp condition.
FINALITY OF PET'S DEATH IS HARD IDEA FOR NIECE TO GRASP Mon Jul 14, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: I recently lost my loyal companion of 12 years, my dog Buddy. His death has been difficult for me, although with each passing day the hurt eases a little.
TWO AUTHORS, ONE BOOK CREATE JEALOUS HOUSEHOLD Sun Jul 13, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, "Scott," and I are writers, although we both have day jobs. During the two years we've been together, we have always supported each other's writing careers.
DAD WHO DATED ON THE REBOUND SHOULD TRY TO CATCH HER AGAIN Sat Jul 12, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: I went through a bitter divorce a few years ago after my wife, "Cassie," had an affair. During the divorce I confided a lot in Cassie's sister, "Lisa." We had always been close friends, but one thing led to another.
FAMILY PURSE STRINGS ARE NO LONGER IN HUSBAND'S HANDS Fri Jul 11, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are going through a financial situation which many families seem to face these days, where the wife has to take care of the family's finances.
STRUGGLING SINGLE DAD FINDS OUT HOW LITTLE HE KNOWS Thu Jul 10, 7:57 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: I am a single parent, although I never intended to be. Last fall, I was asked to baby-sit a 14-year-old boy. He has been in my custody ever since. His mother abandoned him. Only in the last month have I actually gotten legal custody of him from Social Services. The problems he had prior to being with me have caused me legal expenses I never could have imagined. (They are all paid now.)
WOMAN PREPARING TO WED IS FEARFUL OF GROWING APART Wed Jul 9, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: I am a 27-year-old woman who has been dating my boyfriend for a number of years. As exciting as the thought of marriage sounds, it is also scary. Too many times I have heard that a couple separated because they had "grown apart" or "grew in different directions."
VOLUNTEERS BY THE THOUSANDS HELP TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT Tue Jul 8, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: On April 11 you asked what your readers think is right with American society. I'll bet you were inundated with responses to that question, and I hope you allow me to be one of those who answer it.
HUSBAND'S ROAD BEHAVIOR IS DRIVING HIS WIFE NUTS Mon Jul 7, 7:58 PM ET
DEAR ABBY: "Robert" and I have been married seven years and have two sons, ages 1 and 3. Something is bothering me that didn't before -- Robert's driving. My husband speeds, tailgates, honks his horn to make others go faster and uses racial epithets. If I say anything to him, he accuses me of not trusting him or says I'm looking for something to complain about.