DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been calling and emailing my friend for about a month now with no response whatsoever. She is not someone I talk to a lot, but in the past, she at least responded to me when I contacted her. I got kind of mad and sent her a not-so-nice note saying that my feelings were hurt that she hadn't gotten back to me. Then she called to tell me that she has been sick for about a month and a half. I feel so bad. How can I make it up to her? -- Foot in Mouth, Detroit
DEAR FOOT IN MOUTH: I'm sure you apologized when you spoke to her. If you feel that your apology was insufficient, call her back to explain that you were frustrated because you hadn't heard back from her and that you are truly sorry for lashing out. You should follow up with her to see if she is feeling better and ask if there is anything you can do to help her.
Your lesson here is to not take things personally. You misjudged your friend's silence as her ignoring you. It wasn't about you at all.