DEAR ABBY: I'm going to be 65 soon. Yesterday I got a call from my daughter telling me: "Sorry, I'm going to be late with your birthday card again this year. I don't have time to get one. I'm really busy. We're working on the house, and I got a new job. I'll send you one in a few weeks." My daughter knows how much I love getting cards and being remembered. However, she thinks it's funny when she says, "I got your card, but I can't find a stamp. Maybe you'll receive it sometime next year."
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Are there other daughters like mine, or is she the only one? I'd like other daughters and sons to know that when your mother is gone, she's not coming back. Take a little time now, while she's alive, to show her you love her. Thanks, Abby. -- SAD MOTHER IN TEXAS
DEAR SAD MOTHER: Yes, there are other daughters and sons like yours. And you're right, life isn't a dress rehearsal. Every moment is precious.
Knowing how you feel, your daughter appears to have a warped sense of humor and to enjoy withholding what makes you happy. You have described a person who thinks the world revolves around her.