DEAR ABBY: Recently, my husband was asked to be the best man at his friend's wedding. The happy couple did not have the financial means to hire a photographer, so I was asked to take pictures of the ceremony and reception.

I'm not a professional photographer, and the bride knows that. I gladly photographed the nuptials on the couple's big day. Of course, I charged them nothing for doing it.

I am now on the receiving end of insulting comments regarding the photos I took. When the bride rudely voiced her displeasure, I was taken aback. I did nothing less than my very best to accommodate her, and I have received nothing but ingratitude and disrespect for my efforts.

I believe in keeping commitments I have made. I intend to complete the edits of the original photos and create a wedding album as I promised. However, how do I tactfully address the situation with the bride if she "reminds" me again of my lack of professional photography skills? -- SAD NEWBIE PHOTOGRAPHER

DEAR PHOTOGRAPHER: Alas, it seems that no good deed goes unpunished. The next time the bride "reminds" you, all you have to do is "suggest" that for the next happy occasion she spend some money and hire a professional instead of hitting up a friend for a freebie and then complaining about the result.

DEAR ABBY: I have a friend, "Riley," who is the sweetest woman I know. She's in her mid-20s and has a stable job, but I'm afraid she is setting herself up. She rescues animals that are terminal or nearly so. She's great with them and should become a veterinarian. A few she has brought back to health, but others just can't be saved.

My concern is that when Riley loses one, she breaks down. She cries for hours on end, but the minute she gets a call, she willingly takes in another one.

She's like a sister to me, and I respect and admire her determination to care for these creatures and give them love when no one else will. How can I nicely say to her that I think she shouldn't accept any more rescues because she will only continue to get more depressed? -- CONCERNED FRIEND IN GEORGIA

DEAR CONCERNED: There is no nice way to say that to your friend. What you can say is that you are concerned about her because of the depression she experiences when she can't save one of her animals. For an animal lover, the loss of a pet is painful and personal, and her reaction isn't unusual.

DEAR ABBY: I am hoping you can clear this up. A few weeks ago, my boyfriend and I had some of his family members over for a visit. It was very casual, as usual, more like a Sunday afternoon drop-in. I came out of our room barefoot, because I usually walk around that way in the house. I was scolded by his grandmother and told I was rude to walk around barefoot when there is company. Was she right? -- BAREFOOT CONTESSA

DEAR BAREFOOT: No. She was out of line to criticize you. If people choose to go shoeless in their own home, it's really nobody else's business.

DEAR ABBY: I had a close friend from middle school into adulthood. (I'll call her Lacey.) We were each other's maids of honor and best friends for years. A few years ago we had a falling out. She was going through a tough time and lashed out at me. When I tried to have a conversation with her to tell her I didn't like how she was treating me, she told me to "have a nice life."

Shortly after that, my youngest sister struck up a friendship with her and insisted that my parents invite her for Thanksgiving dinner. I told my mother I wasn't comfortable with Lacey joining our family dinner, but Mother said it would be rude to not invite her.

I no longer join my family for holiday dinners. Is it wrong of me to not want my family to be so friendly with someone who was unkind to me? It seems odd to me that my former friend would pursue relationships with my sisters and parents, and odder still that my parents and sisters would encourage it. Is there a positive and constructive way to address this situation? -- DISCOUNTED AND EXCLUDED IN NEVADA

DEAR DISCOUNTED: It seems odd to me, too, that your parents would continue including Lacey at holiday dinners knowing how uncomfortable it would make you. Of course, you can't dictate whom your sister(s) can be friendly with, but you should explain to your parents how her inclusion has made you feel, so they'll understand why you are absent.

When Lacey advised you to "have a nice life," I hope you took her up on it and have made other friends. I also hope you don't sit around alone when the holidays roll around. Sometimes the most rewarding and loving experiences and relationships we have are with the "families" we build for ourselves.

DEAR ABBY: I was taught that punctuality is important. My husband and I are almost always at least a few minutes early for everything we do. I realize not everyone can be -- or wants to be -- early. However, it seems that almost everyone we know is late. Sometimes it's five minutes, others it's 20 to 30 minutes. And it's not just people we know. I was kept waiting for 25 minutes by someone who was buying an item from me.

Why do people think this is OK? I was taught that it's rude to keep someone waiting for you. What are your thoughts on punctuality?

P.S. I'm not talking about running late once in a while. I'm talking about people who are consistently late everywhere they go. -- AMBER IN THE SOUTH

DEAR AMBER: I was raised the same way you were. My parents impressed upon me that it is disrespectful to keep people waiting, and that if a delay is unavoidable, the person who's expecting me should be informed that I will be late. I'm not implying that someone must make an appearance at the stroke of the hour -- a delay of 10 or 15 minutes is understandable. But to keep someone waiting longer than that is rude, disrespectful and bad manners.

DEAR ABBY: I'm writing in response to "Not Talking About the Future" (March 24), whose wife has breast cancer, was told she has only a few years to live, and feels sad when her kids talk about their futures. My dad was diagnosed with stage four multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, in 2006. He was told that even the most aggressive treatment would buy him only two or three more years. Well, he's now working on year nine.

While I must admit that it's been hard at times for me to stay positive about his prognosis, I try not to let it show. Instead, every chance I get, I talk about the future with him -- holiday plans, plans for my wedding next year, projects around his house, etc. It helps to take his mind off the pain and nastiness of his treatments and gets him thinking about positive things.

Forward thinking has been great medicine for Dad. "Not Talking" and his wife don't really know how much more time she actually has, and it certainly doesn't hurt to think positively. -- LOOKING AHEAD IN GLENDALE, ARIZ.

DEAR LOOKING: Thank you for your upbeat message. Read on for a sampling of what other readers had to say about that letter:

DEAR ABBY: "Not Talking" asked if he should shield his sick wife from discussions involving the future. One thing my mom, who died last year, did for the future was to take a video of herself visiting with her grand-nephews so they would have it to look at when they are older. She also bought -- or gave us -- things for our future adopted child, to give to him or her later on. She crafted notebooks for us to hand out at her memorial service, so everyone would have something to cherish from her.

"Not Talking's" wife may want to consider doing some of these things. I send her, and everyone else dealing with cancer, a prayer of peace. -- PROUD DAUGHTER, VANCOUVER, WASH.

DEAR ABBY: I was 13 when my father found out he had cancer. I didn't know what it was, and no one in my family sat me down and told me he was going to die. He passed away at a hospital out of town, and I wasn't there when it happened. When I was told, I was heartbroken.

Now, as an adult, I am crushed that I wasn't able to have the conversations with him I needed -- about his boyhood, grandparents, his time in the Navy, my dreams, and just spending precious time with him. I would suggest that "Not Talking" and his wife tell their teens about her prognosis of three to four years. They deserve to know. They should have the opportunity to discuss what's going on in their lives and allow their mom to reflect on her own life, and her hopes and dreams for her kids. -- MISSING MY DAD IN INDIANA

DEAR ABBY: Being a teenager is challenging, but having a dying parent can make it excruciating. No matter how mature the teens appear, they are not ready to deal with what is coming.

The family may benefit from the Stephen Ministries program (stephenministries.org). Stephen Ministers are trained lay volunteers assigned to provide one-to-one care to people experiencing a difficult time in life. Many Christian denominations participate. The parents can contact their local congregation to see if the program is available. -- BEEN THERE IN FORT WORTH