Dear Queenie,
A couple of months ago my son told a friend of his that he would go with him to a certain event, but since then they have stopped being such good friends. Now the event is coming up and the ex-friend still expects my son to go with him, but my son doesn’t want to.
Queenie, does my son still have to go to that event with his ex-friend?—Unsocial Etty Ket
Dear Etty Ket,
Your son does not have to attend that event with his ex-friend, but he should let the ex-friend know as soon as possible so that the ex can find someone else to go with him.
Dear Queenie,
A friend of mine and her boyfriend came to a party I had and spent the whole time they were there cuddling and kissing. Some of the other guests were so embarrassed that they got up and left before the party was over.
Queenie, should I say something to my friend about the way they behaved?—Offended
Dear Offended,
You can tell your friend that you think her boyfriend is a good guy, but mention that some of your other guests had left early because of the way she and her boyfriend were behaving, and hope she will understand what you are talking about.
Dear Queenie,
I’m retired and living on my pension. I don’t have any savings and I just barely get by.
My birthday is coming and my sister and her family, who are very well-off financially, have invited me to their house to celebrate and I know they will have gifts for me, but I am embarrassed to go because I can’t afford to do anything for them on their birthdays.
Queenie, what can I do?—Not-so-well-off sister
Dear Sister,
Accept their invitation! Your presence will be a gift.
Also, if you have any kind of a talent, sharing it with them would be a gift. Furthermore, you can give them help around their home and babysit if they have young children.
Dear Queenie,
My father sent my daughter a gift for her birthday that arrived about a week before the day. A couple of days before the birthday he called to ask if it had arrived and how she had liked it. We hadn’t opened the package yet, we were waiting for the actual day, so we didn’t know yet what the gift was and we didn’t know what to tell him.
Queenie, did we do something wrong?—Gift Etty Ket
Dear Etty Ket,
As soon as the gift arrived you should have let your father know that you had received his package and were waiting for the actual birthday to open it.
Then, as soon as possible after her birthday, your daughter should have called to thank him or sent him a thank-you note.
Dear Queenie,
I sent my fiance some nude pictures of myself and somehow a friend of his got them too and threatened to show them to everyone unless I did whatever he wanted (you know what I mean!).
Queenie, what can I do?—I’m sorry now!
Dear Sorry now,
Now you know why it is not a good idea to take nude pictures, let alone send them to anyone!
What this “friend” is doing is blackmail, which is a crime if it can be proven. Consult a lawyer for legal advice on how to handle this situation.
