Ask Amy: Lost love letters should be returned to sender
I detect an undercurrent of scandal or embarrassment over this collection. I fail to see why you are hesitating. Your uncle and his correspondent were young people who loved one another. Their tender story is beautiful, and universal.
As far as I can tell, there was no taboo to their love affair. These letters -- and especially the photos -- would most likely be treasures to her family members.
Dear Amy: Should I be concerned that my boyfriend's (female) work friend, whom he would only see twice a year at conferences (and has recently gotten divorced), is driving four hours to visit our town? She says she wants us all to go to dinner.
Here is the problem: We live in a very small and unassuming place. No one ever just vacations here. It's obvious to me that she's coming to town just to see my boyfriend.
He is oblivious, and says I'm being jealous. He and I have a very solid relationship. Am I just being crazy?
-- Jealous?
Dear Jealous: Jealousy isn't always a bad thing, but it is often flung in a partner's direction like an accusation, instead of it being the reasonable and justified response to a specific situation.
You might as well cop to feeling this way: "Jealous? You bet I am, buster." This doesn't mean that he has done anything wrong (or that she has), but that he is a desirable guy, and she is a newly single woman taking a four-hour road trip just to say hi.
The real concern would be if she (or he) insisted on excluding you. Neither of them has.
Attend this dinner, behave like a sophisticated and confident person, laugh at all of their inside jokes, ask pointed questions about work and family, think of people you could fix her up with -- and suss this out.
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