Times Leader widens readership lead over Citizens’ Voice

Woman cited for attempting to shoplift at Walmart store

<p><strong>Dear Annie:</strong> I have been married for 20 years. When I met my husband, he already had a grown daughter from his first marriage who was living independently in another state. &#8220;Beth&#8221; and I have never been particularly close.</p><p>Seven years ago, Beth married a man who ran off within six months, and she has no clue where he is. He doesn&#8217;t pay child support, and the authorities cannot find him. Her twin girls are now 7 years old and completely undisciplined and unstable. I don&#8217;t particularly enjoy Beth&#8217;s company or that of her children, and neither does my husband, but we do our best to have a decent relationship with all of them.</p><p>The problem is, I am terrified that something will happen to Beth and my husband and I will be responsible for the twins. There is no one else. At my age, I do not have the physical or emotional capability to raise them, and I don&#8217;t think my marriage would survive the stress.</p><p>If Beth runs off or dies or something, are we responsible for these children? I have told her that her father and I are not able to raise her kids, but as far as I know, Beth has made no guardianship arrangements with anyone else. I feel like a terrible person, but it is becoming a major stress factor in my life. Please help. &#8212; Scared Stepmom in Chicago</p><p><strong>Dear Scared</strong>: We could try to convince you that your stable presence might turn those children&#8217;s lives around, and we hope you will consider that. But we know that not everyone is capable of raising young children, particularly ones with existing behavioral issues.</p><p>Rest assured, you will not be forced to take these children should something happen to Beth. If she does not designate a guardian (who agrees to take them), and no family member is willing to step up, then the children become wards of the state and possibly placed in foster care. Your best bet is to hope nothing happens to Beth.</p><p><strong>Dear Annie:</strong> You printed several responses for &#8220;Expecting Mom in the Midwest,&#8221; who was baffled when rude people asked if her pregnancy was planned.</p><p>I don&#8217;t have a response for that particular question, but I would like to weigh in on rude questions in general. Back in the day (50 years ago), I was often stopped by women who wanted to know whether my two babies were twins, because I was shopping with two infants who were not the same size or gender. This happened all too frequently at the grocery, when it was imperative for me to get in and out quickly before my kids had a meltdown. I know they were simply curious, but I got fed up one day and told one of them, &#8220;No, they aren&#8217;t twins. I have two husbands.&#8221; &#8212; J. from Texas</p><p><strong>Dear J.:</strong> Cute. Here&#8217;s one more on not answering too-personal questions:</p><p><strong>Dear Annie:</strong> The late Christopher Lee served in military intelligence in WWII. When asked about what he did in the war, he replied, &#8220;Can you keep a secret?&#8221; His questioners always answered, &#8220;Yes.&#8221; Lee then responded, &#8220;So can I.&#8221;&#8212; Might be Useful</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Annie&#8217;s Mailbox</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Marcy Sugar, Kathy Mitchell</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Annie&#8217;s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to <a href="mailto:anniesmailbox@creators.com" target="_blank">anniesmailbox@creators.com</a>, or write to: Annie&#8217;s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. To find out more about Annie&#8217;s Mailbox and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at <a href="http://www.creators.com/" target="_blank">www.creators.com</a>.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Annie’s Mailbox: Undisciplined children would be an unwelcome addition