Opinion

DEAR ABBY: I was taught to write handwritten thank-you notes when I received a gift. Over the last few years, my gifts have been acknowledged with a brief text, Facebook post, a photo or not at all. I enjoy giving gifts, but the lack of response I receive from today’s younger folks leaves me feeling frustrated and dismissed. Must I adapt my expectations to a new normal in etiquette? -- MANNERLY MISTER IN TENNESSEE DEAR MANNERLY MISTER: The topic of thank-you notes is one of the most common complaints I get from readers. While there’s no excuse for not acknowledging a gift, you may be judging those writers harshly. Although handwritten thank-you notes are the “gold standard,” many folks today opt to take a shortcut by using technology that didn’t exist before the quill and inkwell.

DEAR ABBY: I’m a middle-aged married man and the father of two. Although I work as a banker, I’m also an aspiring pianist. I have practiced two to three hours a day for many years. My music is unique -- unlike anything ever heard. My wife of 18 years does not appreciate my music. She never comments on it, never pays a compliment and never supports me about it.

DEAR ABBY: My dear friend “Rose’s” husband died five years ago, and since then she has struggled with grief and loneliness. She immersed herself in her church, friends and family. We usually talked three to five times per week and we traveled together.

There are many ways to enjoy a sweet and healthy Halloween. This spooky season is often paired with sweet treats and desserts that are high in added sugar. To encourage healthier eating habits, we want to try and enjoy these sweet treats in moderation. Continue reading for some ideas to share with your family for a healthier Halloween celebration.

This Halloween holiday, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is teaming up with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Watch UR BAC program to spread awareness on the fentanyl epidemic spreading across our state.

DEAR ABBY: I just attended my son’s wedding. He married a wonderful woman, and I couldn’t be happier for them. However, I was not acknowledged during their wedding reception, which deeply saddened me.

DEAR ABBY: I have a brother I can’t seem to get along with anymore. Sometimes he’s OK, but most of the time he’s not. I visited him recently for a cookout, and it wasn’t good. He got into an argument with his wife, shattered a glass, tried to fight me out of the blue, and talked about extremist topics -- all in front of his young, impressionable kids. I worry about his three boys and want to have a serious talk with him about getting some therapy.

DEAR ABBY: My 9-year-old daughter, “Kennedy,” plays volleyball. One of the assistant coaches is a transgender woman. I had known about the coach before Kennedy started playing. Although I’m OK with a transgender person coaching my child (I feel their gender identity is absolutely none of my business), my husband is not. He wants our daughter to quit a sport she loves so she won’t be “exposed” to something he doesn’t agree with. He is not transphobic, just very conservative, and he doesn’t want Kennedy growing up around it.

DEAR ABBY: For my 50th birthday 10 years ago, my father, with whom I have had a tumultuous relationship, gave me cherished rings as gifts. One was my grandmother’s and the other was my grandfather’s, both of whom are deceased. This was at a time when we were in a good place, and it meant the world to me that he thought enough of me to give them to me. They were the only things I had of his parents.

DEAR ABBY: My longtime girlfriend has male friends who visit her during the day while I am gone for about a week each month. I know them, they are interesting people, and I’m OK with that. She now has a friend who is a faith-based healer something she gravitates toward. He lives three hours away, and when he visits, he stays overnight. I met him recently. He’s there now while I am two states away. He does hands-on healing with her and other people she introduces him to. He goes in the water every day of the year, and now my girlfriend does, too, usually very early in the morning. Presumably, they do this together while I am away. Maybe he goes in naked; she would consider that natural.