DEAR ANNIE: Noisy next-door neighbors

I’d like to provide another perspective. We have one quiet dog. Our next-door neighbor has three noisy pooches who seem to be outside a lot. My neighbors are the kindest people, and they have been there for us in times of emergency and in every neighborly way imaginable. We count ourselves fortunate to have these neighbors — dogs barking and all. Every relationship has its pluses and minuses, and I always say if you don’t want to hear crying babies or barking dogs, suburbia is not for you.

That being said, we did put up a privacy fence and let our neighbors know how much we’d miss our backyard chats (there’s always the front yard!). Our dog would definitely be in on the barking if he could see his neighbors, and the fence provides a measure of peace for all of us. — Lucky in the Suburbs

Dear Lucky in the Suburbs: Good fences make for good neighbors. It sounds like you solved the problem. Your positivity and perspective regarding your neighbors are what makes for a happier life. If we focus on the cup half full, we tend to get more joy and happiness in our lives. Acknowledging your gratitude for your wonderful neighbors while setting the boundaries that make sense for your family sounds like the perfect solution.

Seeing the good in our literal neighbor or our metaphorical neighbor leads us to live a more peaceful life.

Dear Annie: I am a 50-year-old man, and about three years ago, my wife divorced me after 16 years of marriage. I’ve never laid a finger on her, and I’ve never cheated on her. The reason for the separation was that I was hardly ever home because I was always doing side jobs along with a full-time job.

After the divorce, we were separated for about a year-and-a-half, and then we got back together. My wife is 60 years old — 10 years older than me. She is beautiful and smart, but my issue is that when we got the divorce, after about a year, I was over her. It took a lot of grieving on my part, and now, I just can’t find the love that I had for her before the divorce. It is affecting the will to initiate sex with her, or even to be intimate. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do. I just want that love back that I had for her once before. — Trying to Love Again

Dear Trying to Love Again: Ask yourself if you are really trying to love again or if you are living with resentment toward your wife for leaving you in the first place. I don’t think your age difference is very important. What is important is how you treat each other. Pulling away from intimacy of all sorts with your wife is not the recipe for a successful marriage. With the help of a good therapist, explore if you can forgive her for the past and if you want to make the marriage work. It takes two.