DEAR READERS: I want to take advantage of this holiday dedicated to sharing thanks to express my gratitude to you all for reading and commenting.

Whether you agree with my answers or not, I’m usually impressed, and often touched, by your willingness to share what you’ve learned along the way with total strangers, whose stories sometimes remind you of your own.

Thanks also to those who find my typos and offer their own brand of advice, which often proves quite educational.

From my home to yours come best wishes for a blessed and happy Thanksgiving. --- ASK SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I know it shouldn’t be a big deal, and I shouldn’t take it personally, but I have a friend who NEVER directly responds to texts or voicemails or snaps. I know she’s getting my messages, because she’ll reply immediately, but it’s almost guaranteed to be something completely off-topic. I’ve heard some of our other friends complaining about her doing this, especially when it messes up getting together. She insists she wasn’t told something about time or place and gets all pissy because she says I don’t tell her anything.

I like being with my friend, but I wonder if she’s really not getting what I’m trying to tell her or just trying to shove the blame on me when something goes wrong, even if I show her the texts we both sent. What can I do to get this woman on track? --- FRUSTRATED FRIEND

DEAR FRUSTRATED FRIEND: One thing you can try with a reliably unreliable responder is to keep it simple. Don’t cover more than one point per message, which makes it easier to piece a conversation back together, should the need arise.

The other thing you can do is to ask her, repeatedly if necessary, to confirm that she got the message.

Neither tactic is a guarantee, but maybe if she gets tired of being babysat and badgered, she’ll start getting the message ─ in more ways than one.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My girlfriend and I are travelling to spend Thanksgiving with her very large family. I like them, and I think they like me, but if the same thing happens this year as happened last year, I am going to be left behind with “the guys” while “the girls” all do their Black Friday thing immediately after we finish the big meal.

I have no problem spending time with her dad, brothers, and nephews, but I think it’s wrong to skip out on a family gathering to save an extra 20% at Target on Thanksgiving Day, and I’ve told my girlfriend that. Am I the crazy one here? --- ALL FOR KEEPING THANKSGIVING THANKSGIVING

DEAR ALL FOR KEEPING: I’m with you in your belief that Black Friday should stick to Friday, but it seems we’re in the minority.

Since you’ve already shared your thoughts with your girlfriend, and you’ll be her family’s guest, you pretty much need to go with the flow and follow their traditions, and enjoy the opportunity to get to know the other important men in your girlfriend’s life.