Overwhelmed parent wants to mend broken family
I don't want to create hard feelings.
Can I say something, or should I just keep my mouth shut?
-- Home Owner
Dear Home Owner: If I gave you permission to say something to these neighbors, what would it be? "Hello, nice people. Please, clean up your property, so I can sell mine and get you some new neighbors?"
No, if these people won't clean up their property for their own sakes, they're not going to clean it up for you. If they aren't violating any local statutes, then it is what it is.
You could communicate this to prospective buyers: "In our time living here, we haven't really gotten to know the neighbors very well, but they seem very nice. We've never had any problems of any kind with them."
Dear Amy: "Empathetic from Afar" felt burdened by a friend's requests for support through social media.
I appreciated your suggestion that support doesn't always need to be financial. Maintaining contact and a connection is helpful, too.
-- Also Empathetic
Dear Also: The current health care cost crisis has led people to crowdsource support for their expenses. But support takes many forms.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
