In a recent installment of the "Dear Abby" advice column, columnist Jeanne Phillips addressed two distinct reader concerns: a retiree's conflict over a dream road trip and a cancer patient's feelings of being overlooked by family.
One letter writer, identified as "Solo Traveler," described her lifelong dream of taking a summer road trip from Florida to Alaska after retiring. However, her husband dislikes long road trips and has presented a list of demands, including limiting driving to six hours per day, staying in hotels instead of camping, and using a gas-guzzling SUV, which would significantly increase the trip's cost and duration. Solo Traveler suspects these demands are a passive-aggressive attempt to prevent the trip altogether and is considering leaving without informing her husband.
Dear Abby advised Solo Traveler to proceed with her dream trip but to plan carefully. "You don't need to sneak out," Abby wrote. She suggested leaving detailed instructions for home care and arranging for a friend or family member to check in on the husband regularly to ensure his well-being and prevent household issues.
The column also featured a letter from "Glossed Over," who has been undergoing cancer treatment for a decade, involving infusions, scans, multiple doctors, and medications. The writer expressed hurt that, aside from her psychologist, no one in her family, including her mother and sister, inquires about her health or treatment. Even when mentioning side effects like hair coarseness due to chemotherapy, her mother reportedly commented on her finances rather than her well-being.
Dear Abby offered sympathy and suggested that the family's silence might stem from sadness or fear of upsetting the writer. Abby encouraged Glossed Over to directly communicate her need for support to her family, including her mother and sisters, suggesting a joint conversation to foster a stronger support system during her ongoing treatment.
The "Dear Abby" column was founded by Pauline Phillips and is now written by her daughter, Jeanne Phillips.