ArcaMax

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We are holding a celebration of life for my 28-year-old son at an airplane hangar. I'm saying "Wear anything!" because we want it to be about celebrating his life more than mourning his death. I plan to wear white.

Do you make a distinction between funerals and celebrations of life, or do you believe mourning prevails ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I had a severe injury to a finger. It has since healed, but when I cook, I usually keep a bandage over the injury to protect the area.

One night I made dinner for my husband and a very close friend (who has a great sense of humor). I had the entrees placed on the table and was serving the salads when I noticed the bandage was...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: While outside in the smoking area of a music venue a couple weeks ago, a woman next to me became a little too animated and lightly bumped into me. She apologized, and I politely responded that it was not a problem.

Then, I realized she was still looking at my sleeve with an anxious, guilty expression, and she started brushing...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A while back, a colleague of mine said that he and his wife would like to invite me over for dinner at their home. The evening of the dinner, there was another guest, Chloe, a woman my age who teaches with my colleague's wife.

The evening was very enjoyable, with good conversation. At the end, the hostess told me that she had...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My partner and I lived abroad for 12 years and have recently moved back to his hometown. He has a job, I am working as a temp, and we are struggling to find housing, so we have been staying with his parents.

I am incredibly grateful to them; we have been living with them for two months now, and may stay another two months (...Read more