DEAR ABBY: I'm a 13-year-old girl who is blessed to have both sets of grandparents alive and healthy. Recently, my dad's mother has become very quiet and reserved at social events. She was never the "I need to talk to everyone" type, but at the last few family gatherings she wouldn't involve herself in a long conversation with anyone. When my other grandparents tried to talk to her, her answers were curt and it was obvious she would rather not talk.
At first we thought it was because of my baby cousin, who cried nearly every time my grandmother held her. Thankfully, that has stopped. Other family members have noticed her behavior, and we are unsure of what may be causing it. -- SILENT TREATMENT IN NEW YORK
DEAR SILENT TREATMENT: Your grandmother may be upset about something, and her refusal to talk could be her way of expressing her displeasure, or she may be having a personal problem she's not ready to discuss. Because other family members have noticed and are commenting about it, your parents should tell your grandfather that the family is concerned and ask him for an explanation, because he may be in a position to shed some light on it.