DEAR ABBY: I have a family friend who at one time I considered to be like a sister. The issue is, my family hosts her family every Thanksgiving. They are never invited. They just say they are coming over. They bring drinks, more for themselves than for us. Their kids run around, break things and behave disrespectfully, while the parents seem to regard the behavior as amusing. They also bring along Tupperware for leftovers but don't bother staying around to help clean up.
When my family told them we weren't cooking for Thanksgiving last year, her response was that they'd do something just for their immediate family. I was shocked, because my family has hosted them for more than 15 years. I have kept my distance since, but I'm still upset about it. How do I bring up the subject without anyone getting their feelings hurt? -- RETURNING THE FAVOR
DEAR RETURNING THE FAVOR: Why are you worried about bruising the feelings of these self-entitled people? They haven't shown they are concerned about your family's feelings. Be glad to be rid of them. If the subject comes up, tell her that your family has again made "other plans" for Thanksgiving -- just your immediate family.