ArcaMax

Dear Amy: I am a self-supporting working woman.

Over the past decades, I've written personal essays for various publications. I don't make money at this; I wish I could!

I have a portfolio full of my work. Some pieces are humorous; some are serious.

I moved to a new town three years ago and made a new friend. She was going on a long car ride, so I offered to give her a few of my essays to read while she was away.

She has not said a word about any of the essays. I'm surprised because two of the pieces mention how my son battled cancer as a teenager. I had never discussed this extremely personal topic with my friend. I thought this was a good way to enlighten her. (My son is now cancer-free.)

I finally asked her if she read any of my work. She said she did. She had no comments. Nothing positive; nothing negative.

I find this very odd and a bit insulting. I am not a terrible writer. If the pieces were poorly written, they wouldn't have been published in the first place.

Is my friend upset that I never broached the subject of my son's illness before? I believe she's the type of person who would let me know that the omission upset her.

She didn't comment on the humorous pieces, either. Wouldn't a friend say SOMETHING?

I just don't get why she hasn't said a word about something very close to my heart.

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