Dear Abby: Is there a way to end the “Holiday Newsletter”? Every Christmas, I receive messages from certain families. It always includes a list of their greatest accomplishments and expensive trips, along with lots of photos. No one in my family sends letters like this, and I don’t know how the recipients feel. Last December, I was so depressed that I couldn’t even read.
My siblings and I are all in our 60s and 70s and are spread out across the United States. Our lifestyles and incomes vary. Most of us can’t afford the kind of vacation this brother is writing about. Many of us have painful personal events in our lives that we don’t like to talk about.
Is it better not to read newsletters? I don’t think this brother is insensitive, and I don’t think he can ever bring this topic up for discussion. But I know I’m already dreading the December letter. Please let everyone know. We will no longer publish a holiday newsletter. thank you. — Unwanted Generalization in the West
Dear Unwanted Person: Many people send out holiday newsletters. This is because it’s an easy way to stay in touch with friends and relatives you don’t see or communicate with often. Everyone wants to present their best image, so letters are often refined and even decorated. Because such communications are often welcomed, we hesitate to advise readers not to send messages. However, it can be depressing, so shred it unopened or delete it if it arrived electronically.
Dear Abby was written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Dear Abby, contact: www.DearAbby.com or PO Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
