In a heart-wrenching letter to advice columnist Dear Abby, a father in Arizona expressed his deep hurt and anger over his estranged relationship with his two daughters. The father, who was extremely close with all four of his children before his divorce seven years ago, revealed that his boys still maintain a great relationship with him, but his two girls have completely cut off communication. Despite this, the father continues to send each of his daughters a check for $150 on their birthdays and Christmas, which they promptly cash without expressing any gratitude. The father is torn between sending one last check to explain how they have hurt him and bidding them farewell, or continuing to send checks in the hopes that they will eventually reach out to him.

Dear Abby responded to the father's dilemma with empathy and advice. She speculated that the girls' mother may have influenced them against their father, potentially spreading false information that he had abandoned them during the divorce. Abby pointed out that the lack of gratitude from the girls is a breach of manners and suggested that the father stop sending checks altogether. Instead, she advised him to send his daughters a nice card on special occasions, omitting the checks. Abby believes that this change in approach may prompt his daughters to reach out to him.

In another letter, a person referred to as "On the Outside Looking In" sought advice on how to handle a situation involving a missed wedding invitation. The individual's co-worker had sent "save the date" cards to everyone a year in advance, but the actual wedding invitation was sent via email closer to the wedding date. Unfortunately, the person did not receive the email invitation and privately confided in two co-workers about the situation. However, nothing was done, and now everyone in the office is celebrating the wedding, leaving the individual worried that the bride may think they didn't care to attend or RSVP.

Dear Abby responded by acknowledging that emailed wedding invitations have become more common in recent times. She suggested that the individual could have taken a proactive approach by informing the bride that the formal invitation hadn't arrived after receiving the "save the date" memo. This would have given the bride an opportunity to rectify the situation by sending a new invitation or explaining any budget constraints that prevented their attendance.

In a third letter, a person identified as "Stuck in the Middle in Iowa" sought guidance on how to navigate a romantic relationship with their friend's ex-girlfriend. The person revealed that they had developed feelings for their friend's ex, who they referred to as Pam. However, Pam asked them not to say anything and to let the friend find out on his own, as they have many mutual friends. The person is torn between respecting Pam's wishes and feeling obligated to inform their friend about the relationship.

Dear Abby advised the person to have an open conversation with Pam about the situation.