DEAR ABBY: A friend of mine had a baby several months ago. She behaves like she's the first and only woman ever to have given birth. It has consumed her to the point that she sends me at least half a dozen photos a day. When I try to shift the conversation to other things, she invariably brings the topic back to her baby. She left my wedding early without saying goodbye (she was in the wedding party!) to go be with her baby.
I wonder if giving her a subtle reality check would be helpful, or if it would destroy our friendship. I'd love for it to continue, but it seems like a one-way street. -- FRUSTRATED FRIEND
DEAR FRUSTRATED: Before giving your friend a reality check, I suggest giving yourself one. Your friend doesn't talk about anything else but the baby because nothing else is as important to her. By sending you those pictures, she isn't trying to annoy you. She's trying to include you in watching her precious little one develop. Because this bothers you to the extent that you would write to me about it, take a step back for a while rather than say anything to her that you may later regret.