DEAR ABBY: I had to write when I read the letter from "Been Down That Road, St. George, Utah." She said that for years she and her children had laughed about the fact that being a step-grandchild brings with it the consequences of receiving fewer gifts and less recognition.
Exactly the opposite is true in my family. My mother-in-law, Cherylene, has gone to great lengths to include my daughters from my first marriage in everything. When my husband and I had two sons together, nothing changed.
I recall the time while shopping when Cherylene impulsively picked up a gift for the boys. She then spent time looking for something for the girls. When I told her it wasn't mandatory -- that the girls would understand, and that they needed to know life wasn't always fair -- she replied: "You're right. They do need to learn that lesson. But they're not going to learn it from me!"
The attitude in our family toward step-grandchildren has been one of acceptance and love. How sad that anyone thinks it must be any different. -- ELIZABETH IN PHOENIX
DEAR ELIZABETH: I agree. Acceptance and love usually beget more of the same. Children raised in an accepting, inclusive environment feel good about themselves and others. A child cannot pick its parents, and to discriminate on that basis is unfair to the child.