Abigail Van Buren
Pauline Phillips (born as Pauline "Popo" Esther Friedman) founded "Dear Abby" in 1956. The current Dear Abby is her first-born child and only daughter, Jeanne Phillips, who now writes under the pen name of Abigail Van Buren, which was also used by Pauline. She also has a son, Edward Jay Phillips.
Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips was an identical twin; her sister, Esther Pauline Friedman Lederer, wrote the Ann Landers column until her death from multiple myeloma in 2002, at age 83. As children, the two grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, and went by the nicknames "Popo" and "Eppie", respectively. Both are alumnae of Morningside College and both wrote for the college newspaper. They were so close then that they had a joint wedding in 1939 when both women were 21 years old. They were both Jewish.
As competing columnists, the sisters occasionally clashed; in 1956, Phillips offered her column to the Sioux City Journal at a reduced price, provided that the paper refused Lederer's column; Life Magazine reported on the offer in 1958.
The sisters publicly reconciled in 1964, although some suggest the acrimony lasted. Phillips has suffered from Alzheimer's disease since at least the 1990s; according to her daughter, her disease is (as of 2006) in its middle stages.
Her husband Morton Phillips and her daughter both state that she did reconcile with her now-deceased sister before Lederer's death. In 2002, when Lederer (Ann Landers) died, Phillips' daughter wrote a Dear Abby column in her memory, to which Margo Howard, Lederer's daughter, came foward and said neither sister had contact in the final years and that Phillips' daughter had only written the column for money. It is unknown if she is aware that Lederer has died. Shortly after Lederer's death, Jeanne Phillips appeared on Larry King Live saying she had told her mother of her sister's death though she had forgotten it a few hours later.
Phillips, who resided in Beverly Hills, California, wrote in a straightforward style that contrasted with Chicago-based Lederer's quips and barbs.
By 1995, when Phillips suffered from the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, assumed all the writing responsibilities of Dear Abby. After the Phillips family publicly announced that Pauline had Alzheimer’s, Jeanne assumed the pen name of Abigail Van Buren.
“If we could sell our experiences for what they cost us, we'd all be millionaires.”
“The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”
“JUST FOR TODAY, I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once.I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.JUST FOR TODAY, I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.JUST FOR TODAY, I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things that I can correct and accept those I cannot.JUST FOR TODAY, I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.JUST FOR TODAY, I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I'll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking. Just for today, I will refrain from improving anybody but myself.JUST FOR TODAY, I will do something positive to improve my health. If I'm a smoker, I'll quit. If I'm overweight, I will eat healthfully -- if only for today. And not only that, I will get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it's only around the block.JUST FOR TODAY, I will gather the courage to do what is right and take the responsibility for my own actions.”
“You could move.”~Abigail Van Buren, "DEAR ABBY" In response to a reader who complained that a gay couple was moving in across the street and wanted to know what he could do to improve the quality of the neighborhood.”
“The church is not a museum for saints it's a hospital for sinners.”
“Wisdom doesn't automatically come with old age. Nothing does- except wrinkles. It's true, some wines improve with age. Butonly if the grapes were good in the first place.”
“You could move.' ---"Dear Abby" responds to a reader who complained that a gay couple was moving in across the street and wanted to know what he could do to improve the quality of the neighborhood.”
“It is true that I was born in Iowa, but I can't speak for my twin sister.”
“People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes.”
“The less you talk, the more you're listened to.”
“If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.”
“The best index to a person's character is how he treats people who can't do him any good, and how he treats people who can't fight back.”
“Kissing power is stronger than will power.”