It’s perfectly fine to wish friends a happy Valentine’s Day
Dear Abby: Valentine’s Day is here, and I don’t know much about St. Valentine. So I wonder if he meant the day to only be about lovers.
Is there any reason I shouldn’t send valentines to my friends? If you love and care about a person, can’t you send them a box of chocolates, a card or some flowers? It seems to me this should be a time of year you can let a buddy know you appreciate him, or let your brother, cousin, sister, neighbor or coworker know you care.
It doesn’t have to be mushy. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, Abby! — Tim in Syracuse
Dear Tim: There’s absolutely no reason you cannot celebrate the way you described.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you, Tim, and to all my readers, for whom I have great appreciation and affection.
My brother is a 59-yearold widower. He has dated a few women over the years, and he’s afraid of being alone.
The woman he is with now has made it clear that she is with him because he can provide financial security. She’s pushing him to move in together and get married, but only after he sells his house and buys a new one. She is unable to contribute anything, so this would be out of his pocket.
I have told him I’m worried about her using him for his money, but he doesn’t want to hear it. How can I get through to him? — Wise Sister in Pennsylvania
Dear Sister: You obviously can’t. However, his lawyer might be able to deliver that message more effectively than you. This is why you should strongly encourage him to have a talk with his lawyer before he sells his house.
Dear Abby: My father passed away after a long illness four months ago. I lived in the same building as my parents but a different apartment.
I encounter other tenants in the public areas of the building. Since my father’s death, most of them have asked me how my mother is doing. However, no one has ever asked me how I am doing. Frankly, it’s very hurtful. Dad was getting hospice care at home, so I experienced his decline and finally the loss. Why does no one care to offer me any words of sympathy? — Still Grieving
Dear Still Grieving: When there is a death, many people are uncomfortable. They don’t mean to be insensitive; they don’t know what to say to the grieving relatives.
Please don’t hold the fact that they haven’t asked how you are doing against them.