Airport customers get played by line cutter
When I went to retrieve the table, I saw that its legs were completely beat up. I tried to control my facial expression, but she noticed and asked, "Are you upset about that?" Because it was the holiday season and I knew she was frazzled already, I told her we'd talk about it after the holidays.
I'm shocked she asked me if I was upset in a genuinely surprised tone.
It's not about the table; it's about the fact that I loaned her something of mine that she didn't take care of. Nor has she offered to replace it. I have learned my lesson to never loan her anything of value or meaning, but how do I deal with this table now?
-- Upset Sister
Dear Upset: Using the holidays as a blanket excuse for not telling your sister the truth is a passive-aggressive dodge. The answer to the question, "Are you upset about that?" should have been, "Yes, I am."
Loaning people items you love is a tricky transaction. If you had left the table in your parents' basement, it might have been damaged through flooding or another kind of accident. My point is that it was not in your possession for several years, and ... stuff happens.
You have learned something important about your sister. Be honest with her about how you feel about it, see if you can have it repaired and ask her if she would be willing to bear the cost. Please don't let a damaged table damage your relationship. File this under "lesson learned," and don't loan her anything in the future.
Dear Amy: Another response to the issue raised by "From We to I," who wanted her guy to stop referring to his ex-wife.
I had the same problem with my second husband. Whenever he said, "We went to Hawaii," I'd say, "We did? I don't remember that."
We laughed about it, and it didn't take long before he began to say, "My ex and I," or use her name.
-- Jeanne
Dear Jeanne: Smart.
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(You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@amydickinson.com. Readers may send postal mail to Amy Dickinson, c/o Tribune Content Agency, LLC., 16650 Westgrove Dr., Suite 175, Addison, TX 75001. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or "like" her on Facebook.)
