Dear Abby Letters

Letter 1

Dear Abby,

I have a casual acquaintance named “Stacy.” She moved away some time ago and sends a message every few months. Honestly, I don’t feel like we’ll ever be close enough to visit or call each other, and it seems she feels the same way.

Stacy often says she “wants to get in touch,” but her messages are just simple greetings followed by vague updates like “busy” when asked what she’s up to.

I used to share details about my work, hobbies, and family, but now I’m less inclined to do so. I’m starting to wonder if it’s rude to stop responding altogether after all this time. – Full Max in Florida

Reply

Dear flummoxed,

No, it’s not rude at all. While Stacy seems to be sending out generic messages to maintain connections, she doesn’t appear genuinely interested in a deeper conversation. You can choose not to reply to her messages.

Letter 2

Dear Abby,

I love “Carly” like a sister. We both come from a big family but feel alienated from our mothers and siblings. We’ve made it clear—no toxic people in our lives.

Recently, Carly has faced some hard times: she’s going through a tough divorce, her business failed, and she tragically lost one son. The other son struggles with addiction, and her daughter rarely talks to her and is often unkind when she does. Carly can’t afford to help her anymore, which I think adds more pain to the situation.

Carly feels heartbroken and asks “Why me?” If I could, I’d help with her legal troubles, but times are tough for everyone. I try to text her daily to check in and give her strategies to handle the fallout from her business loss.

She truly has no one but me now, and I’m worried about her since her fair-weather friends have disappeared and her children seem distant. What advice can you give her? – My beloved cousin in New Mexico

Reply

Dear cousin,

From what you’ve shared, you’re already providing Carly with a lot of emotional support. It might uplift her spirit if you could find a way to schedule some one-on-one time. But more importantly, you could offer her hope. Remind her that, even when one door closes, another may open. She can take the lessons learned through these challenges and apply them to future opportunities.

The phrase “Why me?” can hit anyone at any time. The key is to learn from the setbacks so she doesn’t repeat them.