DEAR ABBY: My two daughters are not speaking to each other. “Amy,” the older, claims her sister started it. “Lisa,” the younger, claims Amy took Lisa’s son out to dinner and never told her.
Amy has had us at her house for Christmas for the past seven years. Lisa wants to have Christmas at her home this year. She told her aunt that if I don’t go there for Christmas, she will never speak to me again. I have tried hard to get Amy to make up with Lisa. I think Lisa wants things to go back to the way they were. It feels to me like Lisa is asking me to pick which daughter I love more. How can I handle this without losing a daughter? – IN THE MIDDLE IN MASSACHUSETTS
DEAR IN THE MIDDLE: Handle this by telling Amy that because you have celebrated Christmas at her home for the last seven years, you will be spending this one with Lisa. And if she gives you an argument, tell her that from now on you will be alternating celebrations with her sister because you do not want to be forced into the position of having to choose one daughter over the other.
DEAR ABBY: I am a 68-year-old man, married for 45 years. I have cheated on my wife for most of them. Am I sorry about it? No.
My wife shut me out of her life 25 years ago. She has her bedroom, and I have mine. Why did I stay with her? We had adopted two babies 30 years ago, and I wanted to give them an education and a good start in life, which is what we did.