DEAR ABBY: When I texted my faraway sibling, "Pat," to thank them for a thoughtful gift I really liked, they said, "Oh no, the mailing labels for the boxes mailed to you and our other sibling must have been mixed up." Then Pat insisted I immediately trade gifts with our sibling. Pat immediately contacted our mutual sibling's spouse to inform them of the mix-up rather than trust me to handle the situation.
Am I wrong to feel that Pat should have left well enough alone, since I had expressed appreciation for the gift, and sent a similarly thoughtful gift to its intended sibling to rectify things? I have never been in a situation like this before, but it seems to me that I am getting the short end of the stick. -- MIXED-UP OVER THE MIXUP
DEAR MIXED-UP: Not knowing the discrepancy between the gift you received and the one your sibling received, I can't judge whether you got "the short end of the stick." But Pat should have replaced the gift received by the sibling rather than insist you relinquish the one you received. I don't blame you for being offended. The way Pat handled the situation was beyond rude.