Jeanne Phillips
LATEST STORIES BY JEANNE PHILLIPS
DEAR ABBY: ‘Relationship’ involves sending money in one direction
DEAR ABBY: I have been in a text relationship for nearly a year. I call it a text relationship because we communicate solely through texting. Because I’m not a video chat person, it doesn’t bother me that we don’t Zoom. Additionally, the few times he has tried to contact me via video, we just don’t seem to connect.

DEAR ABBY: Grandparents fear for toddler’s safety in unsanitary home
DEAR ABBY: Our son and his girlfriend had our first grandchild 18 months ago. We helped them move out of their rental house before the baby was born and buy a cute little house, which we made sure was in good shape before they moved in. (They had ruined the rental property with a couple of cats they had and their refusal to clean it at all.) We told them they had to keep the new house clean for themselves as well as our new grandson.

DEAR ABBY: Daughter’s estrangement brings more questions for parent
DEAR ABBY: A few years ago, my daughter went “no contact” with both sides of our family — grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, as well as cousins. Since then, I have been struggling with how I should answer acquaintances who ask, “How is she doing?” as well as those who ask, “Do you have children?”

DEAR ABBY: Employee’s hours change when boss adds errands to workload
DEAR ABBY: I started a new job a year and a half ago. It’s in a small office. My boss and I are the only employees. I enjoy the job very much, but there’s an aspect of it that has really started to wear on me. Increasingly, my boss has been asking me to take care of personal tasks for him that are unrelated to the business. I understand that he has no one else to rely on, but it shouldn’t be my problem. I’m a single mom with two kids, and I already have enough on my plate.

DEAR ABBY: Hardworking son frustrated by siblings’ free rides from dad
DEAR ABBY: I’m in my early 40s and have been working hard since my mid 20s. I have a nice house that my wife and I are trying to pay off and two kids. We live pretty comfortably, but by no means are we well off.

DEAR ABBY: Friend’s pain comes and goes, especially in parking lots
DEAR ABBY: My friend “Alma” has a handicapped parking permit. I never asked her why she has it. We regularly go for long walks, and she seems perfectly able-bodied. Alma did share with me once that she got the tag after an accident left her with some intermittent long-term pain. She said most days she doesn’t need the accessible parking and doesn’t use it, but that when her pain flares up, it’s helpful to be able to utilize a handicapped parking space.

DEAR ABBY: Mom devastated by daughter’s intended wedding plans
DEAR ABBY: My oldest daughter, “Alexa,” is breaking my heart. She’s engaged to a nice enough man she’s been with for five years, but she has cast aside every single wedding tradition that’s important to us.

DEAR ABBY: Doorbell camera captures parents speaking about daughter
DEAR ABBY: We were recorded on video and audio on our daughter’s porch, thinking we were talking to each other privately. We were discussing how hurt we were that she didn’t want to spend time with us on our 50th wedding anniversary, shortly after she and her husband moved out of state. They could easily have driven to a new RV park close to our house. Her aunt tried to talk with her about seeing family members and being with us, but she refused.
