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Seeking rest and relaxation at last

Dear Annie: My husband and I are at a full-blown spring break standoff, and the kids are watching it like it’s a sport. He wants to take our two kids skiing. He’s already talking about “fresh powder,” early lift tickets and how this is the perfect chance to make “core memories.” He grew up skiing, and it’s his happy place. I can see how excited he is, and I’m not trying to be the villain who cancels joy. But I want to go somewhere warm. Not “a light jacket” warm, but genuinely warm. Sun. Sand. The kind of weather where you can sit outside with coffee and feel your ...

Clarifying the UroLift system for men with enlarged prostates

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m 79, and for several years, I have been taking finasteride and tamsulosin for benign prostatic hyperplasia. (In the past, I underwent a TURP procedure, which I will never go through again.) As we know, within time, these medications will affect your sexual drive and erectile function. My urologist wants to perform a new treatment on me called UroLift, which would increase my sexual drive and improve my erectile dysfunction. I would no longer need to take the above medications. I would like to know your pros and cons with this procedure. — B.M.R. ANSWER: I am ...

Survey data indicates Americans are less optimistic

Gallup released 2025 survey data this month from its National Health and Well-Being Index showing a significant drop in Americans’ optimism for the future. Taken from four quarterly surveys conducted last year, a total of 22,125 respondents were asked to “imagine a ladder with steps numbered from zero at the bottom to 10 at the top.” They were then asked to select the number that represents where they presently stand. Slightly over 59% of those in the sample size believed their lives would be prosperous in five years. While this number may not seem disturbing at first, Dan ...

I’m a philosopher who tries to see the best in others – but I know there are limits

Understanding one another can be hard. There is a big difference between someone snapping at you out of contempt, and calling you out for a mistake because they believe in you and know you can do better. One of these cases calls for anger, but the other for humility or even embarrassment. Or maybe they are only snapping because they’re “hangry” — they might just need a Snickers bar. And that’s just with people we know. What about strangers, people across the political divide, or even those with very different backgrounds and cultures than your own? My field, philosophy, ...

Politics is harming our healthy friendship

Dear Annie: I’m a 64-year-old woman who thought making new friends at my age would be simple: find someone kind, show up, bring snacks, repeat. A few months ago, I met “Jill” at a community class. We clicked right away. She’s funny in that dry, smart way that makes you feel like you’re in on the joke. After class we started lingering in the parking lot, then grabbing coffee, then texting little updates like teenagers. She even came over one night when my pipes froze and stood in my kitchen holding a flashlight while I tried to pretend I knew what I was doing. I left that ...

Man declines antibiotic medication in fear of a C. diff recurrence

DEAR DR. ROACH: About one year ago, I had Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) that was treated with 125 mg of vancomycin for about four weeks. I had none of the usual risk factors, and the cause was never determined. I am 78 years old and in fair health. Recently, my family doctor diagnosed me with prostatitis after ruling out a urinary tract infection when I noticed a burning sensation while urinating. I was prescribed 100 mg of doxycycline for two weeks. I declined the medication and saw my urologist, who took another urine sample with plans to do a culture. I am waiting for the ...