Dear Carolyn: I’m a middle-aged hetero woman who has been divorced for many years. I gained 20 pounds over the past couple of years due to hormone imbalance (thanks, menopause!). I’ve also recently discovered that…

Adapted from an online discussion. Dear Carolyn: Are parents with little kids bound to be exhausted while still doing the bare minimum all the time? My kids are 3.5 and 1, and my husband and…

Adapted from an online discussion. Dear Carolyn: I have found myself tiptoeing around the issue of my girlfriend’s weight gain. When we first met, she was at a healthy weight but was not living a…

Dear Carolyn: My son and I are close, but my brilliant daughter has largely shut me out. She is 30 but, I believe, still nursing resentment over my divorce from her mother when she was…

Dear Carolyn: My best friend from high school and college and I drifted apart as young adults. As I moved on and formed new friendships, I realized just how toxic this former friend was for…

The transition from the holidays to the start of a new year can be difficult to navigate for many reasons. Post-holiday blues are just one reason why you might be feeling down this time of…

It is hard to prepare for extreme winter weather when December in Kansas may be one of the warmest on record. However, variability seems to be a characteristic of our weather lately and a drop…

Adapted from an online discussion. Hi, Carolyn: I’m feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume and magnitude of issues that I’m passionate about: gun control, abortion access, environmental protections, etc. I’ve sent out feelers about volunteering…

Dear Carolyn: I have been dating a woman long enough that we’ve talked about marriage. I get along well with her family, who live near us. She has never met my family, who do not…

Carolyn Hax is away. The following first appeared Dec. 23, 2009. Dear Carolyn: My mother, with whom I have always been close, has suddenly started lamenting the fact that I “have no one.” I’m 28,…