Ask Amy: DNA disclosure disrupts extended family
Jean told Pam not to do it! If the ex wants to do something nice for their daughter on her birthday, he should do it on his own.
She thinks that Pam will be miserable at the party, because the ex-husband and the girlfriend will be there!
When Jean asked me about it, I said, “I don’t know. Let’s ask Amy.”
— John
Dear John: I understand all of the points “Jean” is making, but it is not Jean’s party – plain and simple.
My main piece of advice is that “Pam” should definitely ask her daughter if she wants her father to be invited to this gathering.
Celebrating your 40th birthday is challenging enough. Being surprised by your estranged father and his complete-stranger of a girlfriend brings this challenge to a whole other level – for everyone involved.
Dear Amy: Thank you for reminding folks to purchase books through their local independent bookshops. These small businesses need our support, especially now.
My own daughter — age 24 — is a partner in a cooperative bookstore in Asheville, N.C., called "Firestorm Books & Coffee.” They have closed their doors to the public, but the business has survived because people are ordering books through them and supporting the shop in other ways.
— Jen, in Boulder, Colorado
Dear Jen: Independent booksellers are vital literacy champions.
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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.)
©2020 Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
