Opinion

Dear Annie: My daughter received some lovely gifts for her quinceanera (an important milestone in Mexican and Latin American cultures that celebrates a girl’s 15th birthday). Unfortunately, there were a few without cards or tags. I am not sure if the card became accidentally separated from the gift, or if there was no card or tag in the first place.

Real life froze four Marches ago. Clocks stood still.

There is one competition where Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia are not beating other major locations in this country. It is in persuading people to stay there.

Dear Annie: My husband is a hypochondriac. It is so very hard living with him. Every time he hears of someone in our family coming down with an illness, he claims he has it. He is a healthy man and perfectly able-bodied. I get disgusted when he takes a handicapped spot next to a store when I know he doesn’t need it.

Unelected pundits unceasingly tell us democracy is in danger. Yet as voters grit their teeth for a Biden-Trump rematch, they might wonder whether democracy is such a great thing in the first place.

Dear Readers: A recent column about the caregiver who felt worn out prompted a deluge of letters, mostly from others who are, or have been, caregivers themselves. As I read the letters, I thought of the fact that airlines tell mothers to put on their own oxygen masks first and then help their children. Here is a sampling of the letters we received: Dear Annie: Please add to the caregiver (“Not Good Enough”) that human beings have a finite mental capacity for each day. This is why Steve Jobs wore a black turtleneck and jeans every day; it left him mental room for more important decisions.

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace was in Washington telling a story about how her “fiance” wanted more action in bed earlier that day. “And I was like, ‘No baby, we don’t got time for that this morning.’” To which she added, “He can wait. I’ll see him later tonight.”

Dear Annie: My daughter is 8 years old and was recently diagnosed with autism. She was just diagnosed at age 7, but I have suspected she is autistic since about age 3 when she used to be severely speech-delayed. Over the years, I had suggested she was autistic to my husband several times, and his responses were things like, “She’s just a little bit behind” and ,”She’s just stubborn and hot-headed like her daddy.” My concerns were always brushed off. However, he could no longer use those excuses when last year her classroom had to be evacuated due to her throwing furniture during one of her meltdowns.

“Both sides furious” was one reporter’s summary when special counsel Robert Hur testified in a congressional hearing to explain his decision not to prosecute President Joe Biden for willfully retaining classified documents, not just from his vice-presidential years but from his Senate career.

As Oklahoma reels from at least two recent suicides of teenagers whose parents said they had been bullied – including nonbinary teen Nex Benedict – the state’s Republican leaders are finally saying it’s time to do more.