Dog bite seems to hurt the whole family
-- Upset Mom and Nana
Dear Mom: Your children are adults. Your son attempted to negotiate with his sister, she turned him down and he delivered an appropriate consequence.
I think you made a mistake by inserting yourself and insisting that one apologize to the other, because now you have upped the ante. It might be wiser to be less directive toward your daughter: "I'm disappointed in how you've handled this, and I hope you'll work things out, because this is having an impact on the rest of the family."
You shouldn't worry too much about this, nor should you take responsibility or ownership for a problem that you cannot solve.
Dear Amy: A good friend of mine owes me a small amount of money ($25).
I have reminded this person twice, and still have not been repaid.
What should I do? I think I will find it hard to just let it go. I am afraid it will affect the friendship.
-- Friend in Need
Dear Friend: This loan is already affecting the friendship, because your friend hasn't bothered to repay you, and you can't drop it.
This small matter has unfortunately revealed something new about this friend.
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