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DEAR ABBY: I respectfully disagree with your response to “Woman’s wedding has been hijacked.” These mothers have no business trying to co-opt the bridal couple’s wedding. If the daughter gives in, it’s only the beginning of these two mothers trying to strong-arm themselves into trying to make future decisions for this poor couple.
The couple should put their feet down and tell these mothers to back off. It’s their wedding, the only one (hopefully) they’ll ever have, and, if they cave to these mothers’ incipient narcissism at the expense of their wedding plans, they’ll all regret it (including these mothers) for the rest of their lives. I’m truly surprised you didn’t tell the couple to stand their ground. — DON’T BACK DOWN
DEAR ABBY: Why should the bride put her hopes and dreams on the back burner just so the moms can impress their friends and associates? Not only does this advice fail to help the dad help his daughter, but it also sends the message to the daughter that her wedding is not really her wedding, it is a stage production the moms are orchestrating for their advantage. — THINK AGAIN
DEAR ABBY: The advice for the hijacked wedding plans should have been for the bride to tell these two mothers to let the bride plan the wedding of her dreams, not theirs. I am assuming the bride can afford to pay for her small wedding. She can still include these mothers in something special. — ONCE IN A LIFETIME
DEAR READERS: In the first line of my response to Doting Dad, I agreed that the daughter should have the wedding she wants. In retrospect, it’s clear I should have ended my answer there!
If one of the moms had written in to complain about the intimate wedding the bride had planned, I’m sure I would have told her in no uncertain terms to back off and let the bride have her way. My apologies to the couple for wavering and siding with those pushy moms. Thank you all for calling me out on this one!
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DEAR ABBY: I’ve been ill for almost a year now. Before this, I was in perfect health, able to take care of all my own needs. I have no spouse or significant other. Before I got sick, I used delivery only for the rare pizza I didn’t want to go out for. Now the only reason I have the food and medicine I need is because of delivery drivers. Thank you, delivery drivers! Bless you! I can’t imagine what I’d do without you. I’m sorry if the tip isn’t always the best. Please hang in there. You do more good than you will ever know. — GRATEFUL IN WEST VIRGINIA
DEAR GRATEFUL: Being a delivery driver can seem like a thankless job some of the time. I’m glad you do your best to show gratitude and tip them, and I hope their employers compensate them fairly. Not only do these workers serve the underserved, but they also help keep local businesses afloat.
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Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren. For nearly four decades, Jeanne Phillips penned this column, which was founded in 1956 by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at http://www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 270135, Kansas City, MO 64127.
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