Dear Annie: I was troubled by one particular sentence in the letter from “Missing Love,” who wanted another relationship after his wife died. He said, “My problem is that I still love her.”

My husband died four years ago, and I can assure Missing Love that he will continue to love his wife, and that is a FACT, not a “problem.” What lame sort of love would it be if it just came to a screeching halt with her death?

In time, he might even come to see that love as a blessing, not something in need of a solution. He may or may not find love again, but if he does, the new, and much different, love will find a place beside the old one, not in place of it. — Missing Love, Too

Dear Missing Love, Too: Your letter touches on the power of love and the different forms it can take. Just because someone is physically gone from this world does not mean their spirit or love are gone. You have a wonderful approach to coping with loss while finding a new person to love. Thank you for writing.

Dear Annie: To the letter from “At a Loss with the Lovable Lush” regarding the brother-in-law who drinks too much, you responded by starting with suggesting talking to his wife. I’ve been in Al-Anon for over 30 years. This guy is an adult and is responsible for his own behavior. Talking to his wife makes her feel responsible for his behavior. She doesn’t need that. His offensive behavior should be directly addressed with him and not when he has been drinking. Families of problem drinkers are suffering and do not need to be put in an impossible situation. The wife had no control of her husband’s behavior and should not be expected to do something about it. — Rose S.

Dear Rose: Thank you for this astute and important point. I was too preoccupied with the complex interpersonal dynamics of this situation that I overlooked the simple solution. After reconsidering, I agree that it would be better for the letter writer to talk directly to his brother-in-law (when he is sober), rather than talking with other family members around the issue. I appreciate your letter.d impression on the principal and perhaps have a better shot at a full-time position.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com