Niece not so nice with thank yous

Originally published in 2013.

Dear Annie: I’m retired and trying to unburden myself of possessions. I recently contacted a niece to ask whether she would like some cashmere sweaters. They’re clean and in good condition.

She said yes, so I mailed them to her. I didn’t hear back.

Several weeks later, I emailed her to ask whether she had received the package. After a month with no reply, I sent another email asking whether she liked the clothes. Still no reply.

I finally wrote her mother, asking that she find out from her daughter whether she liked the clothes. Mom didn’t reply, either.

I get along well with my niece and her mother.

The niece is now 29, and you’d think she would know better. What do you recommend? Without a doubt, I won’t be offering this niece anything again. Disappearing Connections

Dear Disappearing: Your niece is amazingly inconsiderate. There’s no excuse for not communicating about the package you sent.

This is for you: Please stop asking whether she liked the items.

We understand that you want to know, but while your niece should thank you for your thoughtfulness, she’s not obligated to reveal her preferences.

Repeated questioning will get you nowhere. Let it go, and consider it an unpleasant lesson learned. Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column.