DEAR ABBY: My husband and I recently moved out of state. His only living relative, a sister, recently came to visit.
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She has never been married. She is a retired professional and has a good retirement, especially since she has no children.
During her visit, she gave us a housewarming greeting card with a $50 Visa gift card. This was unusual as she has never in 50 years given us money. (She’s very tight with her money and always insists on paying for her part of any restaurant bill separately.)
While she was here, I made a comment about her paying for a $5 coffee for her brother, and she became highly offended. (I knew she would be, so I kind of goaded her.) She then mentioned the $50 gift card she gave us and said I probably didn’t even tell her brother about it even though he was in the room when she gave it to us.
We don’t need her money, and I want to mail it back to her and say thanks for the thought, but we don’t need it. What do you think I should do?
— THANKS, NO THANKS, IN FLORIDA
DEAR THANKS: Really? I think that rather than try to create more problems with your sister-in-law, you should write her and apologize for your comment about the $5 coffee.
Instead of returning the gift card, be gracious and accept it. Shame on you for knowingly stirring the pot.
DEAR ABBY: I’m a widow. My partner died 10 months ago. We were together for seven years but never married.
I have now found a partner who is 12 years younger than I am. We love each other and want to be married. My problem is, he is only separated from his wife.
He says he doesn’t want her and he hates her because she betrayed him. They are getting a divorce, but if I stay with him, I feel that I’ll be stepping between them.
What should I do — stay and hope for the best, or leave him?
— IN THE MIDDLE IN MASSACHUSETTS
DEAR IN THE MIDDLE: This romance is in its infancy. You have been widowed for only 10 months. There’s wisdom in the adage that after a trauma like the one you have suffered, a person should make no important decisions for a year.
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Dear Abby: My mom finally wants to get to know my kids. It’s too late.
Asking Eric: They reported me to child services. Should I report their situation as well?
Has this man or his wife filed the divorce papers, or is he only thinking about it? If the papers have been filed, then you are not coming between him and his wife.
Divorce can also be traumatic, and, frankly, I am surprised that this man would contemplate remarriage before his divorce is final. Rather than decide whether to leave him, take your time and see how this relationship plays out.
DEAR READERS: Happy Father’s Day to fathers everywhere — birth fathers, stepfathers, adoptive and foster fathers, grandfathers and all of you caring men who mentor children and fill the role of absent dads. P.S. Also, a big shout-out to dual-role moms. I applaud you all — today and every day. — LOVE, ABBY
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.