DEAR ABBY: Twenty-three years ago my husband and I lost our firstborn son. As my husband was active duty military, we could have buried him anywhere in the United States. At the time, we were in a place where my sister swore to me she would always live, and she would always be there to take care of him. I knew with my husband's career we had many more moves ahead of us, and it helped to ease the loss knowing that he would be taken care of.

Well, that lasted all of three years. My husband and I are now at a point where we have settled down and we know where we should have buried our precious angel, instead of trusting my sister.

We want to have him exhumed, cremated and placed in a veterans cemetery, but my question is this: Do I have the right to ask my sister to pay part of the costs as she "broke" her promise to help care for my son? -- HEARTBROKEN MOTHER

DEAR HEARTBROKEN: Please accept my sympathy for the loss of your son. While it's clear that there are many hurt feelings about what happened after his original interment, I think it's time to forgive your sister.

It's a fact of life that sometimes unforeseen circumstances prevent people with the best of intentions from keeping promises they make. Forgive her if you can, but don't ask her for money. She may owe you an apology, but she does not owe you any money.

DEAR ABBY: I'm very close to my family. We visit each other's homes often. But for the past year or so, something has begun to bother me. It's cellphone chargers.

Whether people come for a week or just for dinner, out come the chargers! The kids all start plugging in their cellphones and tablets, and the adults follow suit with their cellphones and laptops.

I started asking around and it's not just happening to me. A lot of my friends have the same gripe. Lamps, toasters, pencil sharpeners -- you name it -- their cords are left dangling long after the guests have departed. After the last weekend, I installed a power strip in the TV room and will direct the traffic there in the future.

Would you please let people know how rude this is? Also mention that the host is not responsible for an electronic item plugged in on a kitchen counter, or anywhere for that matter. Example: "Aunt Sarah, who got my iPad wet?" (It was fine, but it had been plugged in on the most-used surface in the kitchen.) -- UNPLUGGED IN SALEM, N.Y.

DEAR UNPLUGGED: While the power strip you installed is the practical solution, the problem is that the people you have described are thoughtless. Polite guests leave their host's home in the same condition it was in when the guests arrived. In this instance, it means being considerate enough to plug in any appliances that the guests unplugged, so the host doesn't have to wonder why the darned thing isn't working after everyone has departed.

And as for electronic items foolishly left on a wet counter, if there was any damage, the fault would not be yours. Your niece/nephew was lucky.

DEAR ABBY: I'm in desperate need of help. I have been with my girlfriend for four years. With every long-term relationship, there are bound to be issues. I haven't felt loved by her in a long time, and I think I have fallen out of love with her. I can't even tell her that I love her anymore because I don't want to lie.

When we make love, it's dull and boring. I want to feel the way I used to about her. When I was near her, my hairs used to stand up, my heart would race, my body would quiver and I would never want to let her go. How can I feel that way about her again? -- WANTS THAT OLD FEELING

DEAR WANTS: The problem with relationships is that they can only be brand-new once. With the passage of time, to some extent the excitement fades. That's where the "work" comes in.

Longtime couples must make an effort to keep their relationship fresh and exciting. This means introducing spontaneity and new experiences to each other.

You say you haven't felt loved by her in a long time. My advice would be to talk to her about it. Because you can't bring yourself to tell her you love her, has it occurred to you that she might feel as though she has been emotionally abandoned by you?

If you want that old feeling back, you and your lady will need to resume communication on a meaningful level. It's not always easy, but honesty can revive a relationship that's wilting.

DEAR ABBY: I live with my longtime boyfriend in a house he owns. We're five hours away from my parents and siblings and the town in which I grew up. It's a beautiful house with lots of land, and I can imagine raising a family here. However, I always thought that if I had children, I'd live close to the rest of my family. I would want my parents nearby so they could lend a hand, and I want my kids to have a close relationship with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

My boyfriend is open to the idea of selling the house, but I'm not sure I would want him to. What should I do? I love this house, but how can I start a family so far from my own? -- LOOKING AHEAD IN NEW JERSEY

DEAR LOOKING AHEAD: Before you make any decisions, discuss this with your parents and see if their vision of grandparenthood is similar to your fantasy. Take into consideration how close they are to your siblings and how involved they are in each other's lives. Be sure that the kind of extended family relationship you envision is realistic.

If everyone is on board, then you and your boyfriend should talk about what relocating will mean in terms of not only selling this house, but also the impact it might have on your ability to earn a living. This property may be terrific, but if it cannot offer you the lifestyle you wish for, then you would be better served to move. But only you can decide that.

DEAR ABBY: I have been dating "Chris" for almost five years. He's my high school sweetheart. We still live with our parents, but we feel we're ready to move out and start our lives together.

The issue is I have a cat ("Silky") and a dog named "Chips"; Chris can't stand them. He has said he doesn't want Silky to live in our home and he would make her an outdoor cat. He also doesn't want Chips to come with us because Chips can be whiny and vocal.

I feel it's my responsibility to take my pets with me when I move out. I don't want to abandon them and leave them with my parents, and I absolutely refuse to put them up for adoption. I feel if I decide to bring them with me, Chris will make them feel miserable. Silky is afraid of him, and Chris doesn't like Chips getting close to him.

I love my boyfriend, but I love my pets, too. Please tell me what to do! -- STUCK IN THE MIDDLE IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR STUCK: Wake up! You are an animal lover; your boyfriend clearly has an antipathy toward them. Your cat is afraid of Chris because she knows he doesn't like her or he did something that scared her. If he makes Silky become an outdoor cat (or she gets loose "by accident"), she may be at serious risk. And your dog will be miserable on the receiving end of constant rejection.

It is very important that you learn to live independently. Because Chris is your high school sweetheart and you haven't dated many others, it's important that you take some time and date other people before deciding to move in with anyone. You and Chris may care about each other, but your compatibility is in question because, face it, you two have differences.

DEAR ABBY: I'm not sure if this has been mentioned in your column before, but I would like to make your readers aware of something while they travel. When staying at a hotel, it is important never to reveal personal or financial information over the in-room phone, even if the caller claims to be an employee of the hotel.

Sometimes scammers will call the front desk of a hotel and provide a generic name or room number. Unsuspecting desk agents may transfer the call to that room, and the scammer will then pose as a desk agent. He or she will say something plausible to get the guest to provide credit information over the phone, and in a flash, the guest is a victim of theft.

If such a thing happens, guests should immediately dial the front desk and ask the agent if a call for that reason was intentionally placed to the room. Very likely, it will not have been. -- JOHN IN OGDEN, UTAH

DEAR JOHN: Whoa! Travelers can never be too careful. Thank you for the wake-up call.