DEAR ABBY: Our organization, No Greater Love, is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that honors America's fallen and their families, and promotes peace. I am reaching out to you and your millions of readers about an important event we are planning. NGL invites you and your readers to become links in our Chain of Prayer for Peace.

As you gather together at Thanksgiving, please consider adding a special prayer for peace. Our goal is to link children and adults of all religions by praying on that day -- and every day possible -- for peace in the world.

We have invited the five major world religions -- Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism -- all of which regard peace as a universal concept. While our specific beliefs may differ, we are all one through our quest for love and peace. -- CARMELLA LaSPADA

DEAR CARMELLA: I am sure my readers will agree that your idea is one worth trying. I'm reminded of the adage that when a stone is tossed into a pond, the ripple effect spreads much farther than the point of impact. It's my prayer that when readers of all faiths focus their positive energy on such an important outcome, something similar will happen.

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, "Mark," and I have been dating for three months but have been friends for about eight years. Neither of us have it together (career-wise) at the moment. Mark is two years older than me.

For some reason, he's hesitant about getting his driver's license. When I brought it up when he was a senior in high school -- we were just friends then -- he said he was going to get it before graduation. That was seven years ago. Now he's my boyfriend, and I feel weird picking him up and dropping him off.

His excuse is he wants to perfect parallel parking. When I got my driver's license, I did just OK with parallel parking, but I passed the driving test. How do I approach him about getting his driver's license? -- GETTING NOWHERE IN GEORGIA

DEAR GETTING NOWHERE: For whatever reason, I suspect that Mark hasn't been completely honest about why he hasn't gotten his driver's license. Approach him directly, and tell him you are uncomfortable providing all the transportation. And if his excuse is he wants to perfect his parallel parking, suggest he take a driver's education course.

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I recently moved to Florida. We are meeting people but are confused regarding social activities. We have been invited to get-togethers several times only to be instructed to bring our own drinks and an appetizer to share. When we entertain, we don't expect our guests to bring anything. Is this the norm? -- CONFUSED IN FLORIDA

DEAR CONFUSED: It may be the norm in the community where you are now living, but it's news to me. I have heard of a BYOB party, and I have heard of a potluck party, but never a "Bring Your Own Everything" party.

DEAR ABBY: My husband had a medical event that left him unable to drive. He is very isolated despite my efforts to keep him connected. His children live an hour away, and it's up to me to drive him to them. They rarely call him. He has a stepdaughter who lives only a few miles from us. We reach out to her, but she also doesn't have time for him. It's ironic because she regularly ministers to strangers through her church while her stepfather languishes in loneliness.

How deeply appreciated an offer to take this lonely old gentleman shopping, for a drive, or giving him a visit or a weekly phone call would be. What else can I do about this? -- FRUSTRATED IN FLORIDA

DEAR FRUSTRATED: I am sorry you didn't mention how close your husband was to his children before the medical event. If they were close and have abandoned him, then shame on them.

I see no way for you to force them to make more of an effort to give their father the emotional support he needs. You can, however, depending upon how impaired he is, try to involve him in activities that don't require being driven an hour away. If there's a senior center near you, you might have more luck in keeping him less isolated if you reach out to them.

DEAR ABBY: A group of friends and I go out for dinner. When the check arrives, we all have cash except for one woman who wants to pay her share with a credit card. She claims she "doesn't know how much she owes" and tells the waiter to use her credit card to pay her share. Abby, she then pays only for her food and beverage, no tax and no tip! I have told her in the past to bring cash, but she won't.

I think it is unfair to the waiter to have to figure out how much she owes. When we tried to talk to her about it, she reacted like she was being attacked and went to other friends and got them to agree with "her side." If anyone disagrees with her, she goes on and on until she either loses a friend or the person gives in and tells her she's right. How do we deal with someone like this? Should we just give up on her and end the friendship? -- CHECK, PLEASE

DEAR CHECK, PLEASE: I see no reason to give up on the friendship. Just stop having dinner with her if her behavior bothers you.

DEAR ABBY: I'm 12 and I'm depressed. I have been depressed for a year now. I have not told my mom that I cry in the shower. Please guide me on what to do and help get me out of this dark hole. -- SAD IN SAN DIEGO

DEAR SAD: I'm so glad you wrote. It's very important that you tell your mother or some other trusted adult that you are depressed, and how long this has been going on. You may need counseling or the intervention of some other adult to fix this problem. Please don't wait, and please do write again and let me know how you're doing. I care.

DEAR ABBY: I am a 17-year-old girl and somewhat spoiled. My mother delivers breakfast in bed to me daily. My dad eats a burger for dinner, but Mom cooks a ribeye steak with a loaded baked potato for me.

I don't know how to cook, but Dad says I must cook a complete Thanksgiving dinner with no assistance! My smartphone will help, but do you have any ideas? -- WORRIED ABOUT TURKEYS

DEAR WORRIED: Mastering the basics of cooking is an important skill you will need when you no longer live with your parents. Your father has the right idea, but he's going about it the wrong way. Expecting you to go from not knowing how to boil water to producing an entire Thanksgiving dinner without help is unrealistic, to say the least.

You and your mother should prepare the dinner together, and she should guide you as you prepare one or two of the dishes. This will ensure that there will be a home-cooked feast rather than a disaster after which your family will wind up in a restaurant.

DEAR ABBY: I am an adult student in my late 20s. I had multiple "jobs" and careers before I finally settled on teaching. Until I finish my degree, however, I am working in a customer service job to pay the bills. This, combined with my youthful appearance, has meant I must deal with people who assume I am a teenager and who treat me with disrespect.

My late grandmother always said that polite people should hold their tongues, so can you please inform your readers that because the person tending to their needs may look like "a kid," it's no excuse for saying things like, "I don't want to talk to some kid; where's your supervisor?" By the way, Abby, I am the supervisor. -- OLDER THAN HE LOOKS IN IOWA

DEAR OLDER: I'm pleased to remind them, but an appropriate response to the person demanding to see the supervisor would be, "I am the supervisor. Now, how may I help you?"

DEAR ABBY: Next year my boyfriend and I will have been together for 15 years. We are not married and feel no urge to do so. We plan on spending the rest of our lives together; we just don't plan on a wedding.

My question is, I'd like to have an anniversary party. Is it unheard of for a unmarried couple to have one? We love each other and would like to celebrate our relationship with friends and family. What do you think? And would it be wrong to have a dance to "our song"? Any ideas would be appreciated as well. -- UNMARRIED IN MICHIGAN

DEAR UNMARRIED: Fifteen years together is something to celebrate and there's no reason why you shouldn't. You can do anything you want at the party -- including dance to "your song." An anniversary of the day you became a couple is fine. Advertise it that way and there should be no criticism.