DEAR ABBY: I have been married for more than 15 years to a man who refuses to kiss me. We kissed briefly on our wedding day (long enough to take a photo) and have not done so since then.
This past New Year's Eve instead of the traditional kiss on the lips, he gave me a kiss on the head and a peck, akin to what you'd see between close friends. He says the human mouth has many germs in it.
Abby, I dream of being kissed. I know the possibility of it happening during my marriage is close to nil. What can I do? I am well-groomed and practice good oral hygiene. -- DOING WITHOUT SOMETHING NICE IN WASHINGTON
DEAR DOING WITHOUT: It has been 15 years since you have been kissed and you're writing me about it only now? Was your courtship this way, too?
Relationships wither without affection. Your husband appears to either be germ phobic or passive aggressive. Unless he is willing to talk to a counselor about it, nothing will change. I hope he'll do it before you meet someone else under the mistletoe or at the stroke of midnight.