DEAR ABBY: Whenever I give my longtime friend a gift, her immediate reaction is to tell me, "Oh, no." Then she immediately offers to give me money for the gift.
When I give someone a gift, it is because I like that person and am excited to give them something I think they would like. When she tells me I shouldn't have done it and keeps asking how much money she owes me, I feel very hurt.
Now her daughter, whom I consider like my family, has learned it from her mom and does the same thing when I give her a gift. Abby, why do they react that way? I always give from my heart. -- GIFT GIVER IN TEXAS
DEAR GIFT GIVER: I suspect your friend learned this behavior the way her daughter has -- from her mother. You might ask your friend to explain why she does this when you give her a gift, because her reaction is peculiar. (Could it be she feels unworthy?) Because you know that receiving gifts makes her uncomfortable, my advice is to quit giving her things.