Ask Amy: Wedding guests are put off by cash grab
Am I being over-sensitive, or are they being insensitive?
-- Soon-to-be Grandmother
Dear Grandmother: I think you are being over-sensitive. Your siblings might have believed that your son was going to share his news with you in a special way. Because you were away at the time, they might not have wanted to hop onto this news, just in case you hadn't been told yet.
Or, they may have simply been focused on responding to the person who shared this news with them -- your son.
Now that you are going to enter the special-status category of "grandparent," you should take stock of your own needs, sensitivities, and relationships.
Being a grandparent is a grand opportunity to become more expansive and generous, and please, less sensitive.
If you are excited, say so! Contact your siblings, saying, "I think you've already heard the good news! I'm really excited. Our newest family member is due this summer." This will give them the opportunity to respond directly to you. For your sake, I hope your siblings give you what you want.
Dear Amy: In a recent column, you replied to a question from "Desperate," a medical student who was torn between her desire to live a small-town life, and her longtime boyfriend's need to live in a big city.
In your list of metropolitan areas that seem to offer the benefits of both big-city life and proximity to beautiful nature, you mentioned my town of Portland, Oregon.
Sure -- we appreciate the shout-out, but please don't send any more people here, Amy. We're all full-up.
-- Happy in Portland
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(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.)
