DEAR ABBY: I was baffled by your response to "Stressed Out in Whitehall, Pa.," who wrote to you concerning a piano that her sister had given her seven years before and now wanted returned. You practically ignored the piano issue, which was the point of the woman's letter, advising her to return it -- and then went on to give her an abundance of information about the chronic fatigue syndrome she mentioned she was suffering from.
Although I'm sure "Stressed Out" appreciated your concern for her health, she wrote to you about the PIANO. Why should she, immediately upon her sister's request, return a piano that was given to her and that she had kept for seven years?
You excused the sister's rude actions by stating that she may have been unaware of "Stressed Out's" illness. Regardless of her health, if she still plays the piano and derives pleasure from it, I see no reason why she should give it up. The piano was given to her, and her sister will just have to learn to deal with it. -- A FELLOW PIANIST IN HILLSBOROUGH, CALIF.
DEAR FELLOW PIANIST: "Stressed Out" said her sister "insists that she told me seven years ago that she was giving me the piano with the stipulation that if one of her children or grandchildren should decide some time in the future that they wanted to play, I would return it."
As a fellow pianist, you certainly must be aware that a good piano is a big-ticket item. Rather than create ill will on the part of her sister, her niece and her grandniece -- as well as to keep peace in the family -- I advised her to return the disputed piano. I stand by my answer.