DEAR ABBY: I am a 47-year-old male, married for 26 years. I am hopelessly in love with my wife and still see her as the most beautiful woman in the world. I have always been self-employed and have sometimes been at the extremes of feast or famine. During the bad times, I often worked 110-plus-hour weeks to save the ship.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: When I was invited to a dinner with an acquaintance, I expected a relatively short dinner with light and pleasant conversation, and accepted enthusiastically.
DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: Will we just float around on a cloud when we get to heaven, and be kind of like ghosts or something? — D.M.
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are contemplating starting a family. When I was younger I wanted children, but over the years my personal experiences have caused trepidation. Because of divorce and the custody battles of my older siblings, I know the amount of blood, sweat and tears that go into children.
DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: I want to believe in God and I’m trying to, but every time I think I’m about to get there I become filled with doubts and I’m right back where I started. How can I overcome my doubts? — K.G.
DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been married 17 years. For the most part, our marriage has been great, and I love her very much. Lately, though, I have felt that our sexual and emotional intimacy has been lacking. I spoke to her about it recently and tried to explain how I feel. She has responded, and things are improving.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a 43-year-old woman who has been dating a 61-year-old man for about 18 months. At a gathering of his family, his 96-year-old mother introduced me to the attendees, all of whom I was meeting for the first time, as her son’s “friend.”
DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: My parents were active in church and all that, but even as a child I knew it didn’t make any difference in the way they lived. Shouldn’t believing in God make someone a better person? I have lots of friends who aren’t religious but they’re still good people. Why should I bother to believe, if it doesn’t make any difference? — H.N.
DEAR ABBY: I was raised that a person’s birthday is his or her day to do whatever he or she wants, but my wishes are being ignored by a close friend I’ll call Wade. For the last 10 years I have ignored my birthday and tried to avoid all celebrations. I’ll take a vacation alone and have a great time. My family understands how I feel and gives me no grief.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: We hosted a dinner for a female friend of ours, and after dessert we retired to the family room to watch a one-hour episode of a top-rated program. Our guest wasn’t interested in the show and proceeded to take out her phone and check email, or something.
DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: Our children complain because we won’t let them watch some of the TV shows their friends watch. But we just can’t see why we should expose them to all the bad language and sex and violence on TV now. Are we just old-fashioned? — R.Y.
DEAR ABBY: My daughter died in a car accident two years ago. She and her boyfriend, “Reed,” had a 4-month-old daughter, “Angela.” Since then, Reed has been very understanding and liberal with visitations. However, it didn’t take him long to find another girlfriend, who has a 4-year-old daughter I’ll call Madison.
DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: Can grandparents do anything to influence their grandchildren spiritually? We live away from our grandchildren and only see them a few times a year, but we want to encourage them to become followers of Jesus. — J.K.
DEAR ABBY: I’m a 14-year-old girl. I don’t understand why adults tell me to be an independent thinker, to embrace myself, and then put me down for not conforming. Why is it outrageous to come to your own conclusions, speculate, challenge accepted ideas or find your own faith?
DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: I went to a memorial service for a neighbor the other day, and the people who spoke didn’t even mention God, heaven, or anything like that. Everything was about the person who’d died and how we should try to be like she was. Is this the trend in funerals and memorial services today? — S.Q.
DEAR ABBY: I’m a 50-year-old man who is serving time for robbery in West Virginia. Every day I wake up acting as if I am in control and don’t have a care in the world. The truth is, I’m scared, lonely and feel totally helpless. All my life I have lived on the dark side of the street, taking for granted the values in life and the love so many people tried to give me.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My son’s wedding reception will be themed around a politically charged topic on which I hold the opposite view from him. Should good manners preclude having issues, even heartfelt ones, involved in an unrelated celebration to which people of a variety of viewpoints are being invited?
DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: Are we always supposed to kneel when we pray? Or does the Bible give us some other command about how we should pray? I don’t want to be disrespectful toward God. — J.M.
DEAR ABBY: I would like to know what the fascination is with putting plugs in one’s earlobes. I have seen some as large as half dollar coins. What does the person do if he regrets having done this to his ears? Can the holes be surgically closed? — Unpierced in Scottsdale, Ariz.
DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: I don’t understand how Jesus could be God and yet also be a man, like Christians claim he was. Human beings are limited and imperfect, while God is perfect and can do anything he wants. How could Jesus be both? — T.B.
DEAR ABBY: I have just discovered that my granddaughter’s mother helped her get a Facebook page on which she is listed as 17, interested in men and in a relationship. The child is only 11, but you’d never know it from the makeup and hairdo in her photo.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My daughter-in-law washes sheets and towels every day. We do that washing once a week, primarily to save time and money. Her rationale is that if hotels do it daily, it must be the proper thing to do. What is proper for guests as well as for your immediate family?
DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: Why are some people so stubborn? My sister is married to a man who’s very stubborn and opinionated, and no matter what the issue, he won’t change his mind. Why do some people always have to be right, even when they’re obviously wrong? — J.H.
DEAR ABBY: I am writing in response to your answer to “Bi in the Deep South,” the woman who is happily married to a man, but who now realizes she is bisexual and wants to come out. My wife is an out bisexual woman.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Would it be inappropriate to have a wedding reception three years after the wedding?
