Dear Abby offered guidance to a new mother whose own positive experience with childbirth and early motherhood is causing distress to her best friend who is struggling.
The reader, identified as "One of Two New Moms," explained that she and her friend became pregnant around the same time and were initially excited to share the journey. However, two months after their babies were born, the reader is adjusting well and finding motherhood comes naturally, while her friend is distant, anxious, and depressed.
According to the letter, the struggling friend confided that comments about happiness and breastfeeding successes feel like the reader is "rubbing it in her face." The reader sought advice on how to support her friend while still expressing her own positive experiences.
Dear Abby suggested that the friend's anxiety and depression could stem from a physiological cause, such as a hormonal imbalance after childbirth, and urged the reader to encourage her friend to speak with her obstetrician. The columnist also advised the reader to share her joyful experiences with friends other than the one who is struggling, at least temporarily, to be more sensitive to her friend's difficult situation.
In a separate query, Dear Abby addressed a situation where a retired husband is repeatedly driving friends to and from the airport. The reader, "Not Your Cabbie," expressed frustration over the inconvenience and wear and tear on their car, especially since the friends are not experiencing financial hardship and could arrange their own transportation.
Dear Abby agreed that the friends could be more considerate but stated that the husband's time is his to manage as he sees fit, as long as it doesn't conflict with his commitments to his wife. The columnist suggested the reader might suggest to her husband that he collect gas money upfront for future trips.