Don’t be too quick to write off friend

Dear Annie: I recently asked a good friend to accompany me to a store where I needed to make a return. I wasn’t sure the manager would be cooperative and wanted my friend for support. She declined.

I was hurt and now wonder whether she is as good of a friend as I thought. I would have done it for her had she asked. Am I making too much of this? – What Are Friends For?

Dear What: Yes. Your friend may have her own issues about returning items, and this particular request may have made her terribly uncomfortable. Our friends cannot be all things to us. If she is otherwise good to you, please let her off the hook for this type of activity.

Dear Annie: I had to respond to “Frustrated Cook,” who admonished children who were picky eaters. My son was like that. Rather than create tension, I decided to cook what he would eat, even if it meant cooking a different dish. I remember my relatives giving me “the look” because they thought I was enabling him and that it was my fault he had such a limited palate.

As an adult, he is still picky, but now he can explain it to me. He says the texture of certain foods has always been a huge issue for him. He will now try different foods within limits. But he has expressed his gratitude to me for not forcing him to eat or go without. To my relatives and others out there, don’t judge unless you know the whole story. – Happy Mom and Son