Dear Carolyn: My boyfriend and I are in our early 20s and in a long-distance relationship for 1½ years. He’s my first major love and relationship. We compromised our plans to align with each other’s.…

Dear Carolyn: I did something a couple of years ago regarding my two stepchildren that I’m not really proud of. Now I’m meeting with them to explain myself and I’m not sure I can. I…

Dear Carolyn: My daughter and her husband have a large home, and when we visit, we stay with them at their request. My issue is their housekeeping. Between the dogs, sinks overflowing with dirty dishes,…

Hi, Carolyn: One of my friends is in the midst of a long funk. This is no slight period of the blues; this is full-on depression that she tells her friends about on a regular…

Dear Carolyn: I’ve got a very common problem with an uncommon twist: I’m in love with a woman who is in a long-term relationship with someone else. She also seems to be very much in…

Dear Carolyn: A friend I have known since middle school is expecting her first baby. After talking with a few of our close mutual friends, it seems as though the responsibility of her baby shower…

Hi, Carolyn: I’ve been on a few dates with “Jack.” I like him and am trying to give our connection a chance; I am notorious for writing people off for minor reasons and then regretting…

Dear Carolyn: I have been living with my boyfriend for two years, and as far as I am concerned, our relationship is perfect. I have no interest in marriage; I never did. I like the…

Dear Carolyn: I’m kind of freaked out about my girlfriend’s unplanned pregnancy. She was planning to have an abortion, but she backed out. Now she is saying she can’t go through with it and will…

Hi, Carolyn: I have a hobby I’m passionate about, and that with a LOT of luck and hard work could someday become a career, or a side career. I also have a full-time job, a…