DEAR ABBY: I'm a senior in high school, and I come from a family that is financially stable but unable to travel often due to time and money constraints. We usually travel only once a year in the summer, and for the most part, we're not able to travel very far or stay for long.

For the past three years, our vacation plans have been on hold due to the pandemic and other concerns. My parents have been on two trips across the country in the past 12 months. I accept that they're a married couple and occasionally want to travel without the rest of their family. However, recently it came to my attention that Mom bought two tickets to Europe for her and Dad as a birthday gift. She used the money she had been saving for a family vacation to pay for them.

I feel betrayed. I was under the impression that we couldn't afford a vacation at this time, or that we were still waiting for the chaos of the pandemic to settle before traveling, but my mother was happy to spend the money on a vacation for her and Dad.

My dad is turning 50, and I understand it's a very special occasion. However, I can't help but wonder why I haven't received so much as a dinner after being accepted into my top college and earning two scholarships. Am I overreacting? If not, how should I address this? -- WANTING A GETAWAY IN NEW YORK

DEAR WANTING: I agree that having been accepted to your top college and having earned two scholarships, your achievement was something to be celebrated. (In reality, the achievement was a reward in itself.) That it was not recognized tells me there must be a lot going on for your folks right now.

While family vacations are wonderful and memorable, so are milestone birthdays such as the one that's approaching for your dad. Your mother should be forgiven for ensuring it will be "extra special." If you feel an itch to travel, if you don't already have one, consider getting a part-time job so you can afford a getaway with friends or a student or church group. Because you are no longer a child, you should talk to your mother about how you feel.

DEAR ABBY: My adult son got so furious with me that he called me, yelled vicious things and threatened to cut me out of his life. I've never been spoken to that way before. It was so traumatic that I was shaking after I hung up on him.

What made him so angry was that I didn't thank his mother-in-law for an email she sent wishing me happy birthday. I had received 30 email birthday wishes that day and didn't acknowledge any of them. I would have thanked someone who'd gone to the trouble of calling or sending an actual card. I don't think I behaved improperly, but maybe there's some rule that slipped by me. Your thoughts? -- UNHAPPY BIRTHDAY IN TEXAS

DEAR UNHAPPY: The polite way to deal with email special occasion wishes is to either acknowledge them individually or do an email "blast" thanking everyone for remembering you. To have remained stone silent was ungracious. HOWEVER, for your son to have gone off the deep end, yelled "vicious things" and threatened to cut you out of his life was uncalled for, and whether or not you receive one, you deserve an apology.

DEAR ABBY: In my junior year of high school, my girlfriend got pregnant. We married and had a son. Although our marriage was very rocky, two years later we had a daughter. I knew from the beginning she was not my biological child because of her blood type, but I loved her all the same. I never told my daughter or my ex-wife (now deceased) what I knew. Four years after her birth we divorced, and I retained custody of my two children.

I later remarried and had one more child. Fifty years have now passed. With DNA testing being so prevalent, I'm at a loss. Most of my family (my parents, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren) have been tested and show up linked to me.

My daughter, her children and grandchildren do not show up anywhere on my DNA chart. They live 2,000 miles away, but we communicate weekly. I am sure that she and some of her family have been tested and "suspect" but are saying nothing to spare my feelings. I feel I need to clear the air with my daughter, but my wife says to let sleeping dogs lie. Advice? -- OLD DOG IN THE WEST

DEAR OLD DOG: I agree with your wife. You raised your daughter, and she is as much your child as if she had "come from your loins." You ARE her dad. IF she or one of her family members has been DNA tested and she hasn't broached the subject with you, it may be because she has no questions she wants to ask you. I see nothing to be gained by raising the subject now.

DEAR ABBY: I'm writing in response to "Paying Respects in California" (Feb. 19), the married man who wondered if it was weird for him to attend the funeral of an old school friend (female) and to go alone.

At my mother's funeral (our father had passed years before), a few of my mom's old school friends, male and female, showed up and stopped to tell us how they had gone to school with her and wanted to pay their respects. One gentleman said he went on a few dates with her. Another confessed he had the biggest crush on her in school.

Whether they had wives at home or not never crossed our minds at the time. We were just so touched that they came, and that after all these years she still meant something to them. And we loved hearing about the crush. We were so happy and tickled to hear these stories about our school-aged mom at a time when our hearts were broken because of her loss.

Yes, "Paying Respects" should go to the funeral. I am sure her family will appreciate it. -- BILLIE JO IN NEW JERSEY

DEAR BILLIE JO: Thank you for your letter. Your sentiments were echoed by many other readers. One commented that she attended the viewing of a former co-worker she wasn't close to ONLY out of respect for his mother who was still alive. Others expressed experiencing a sense of closure from reconnecting with the family and friends of someone they knew in the past.

DEAR READERS: Along with the millions of Americans who are observing this Memorial Day, I am adding my prayer of thanks for those courageous men and women who have sacrificed their lives in service to our country. May they rest in peace. -- LOVE, ABBY

DEAR ABBY: "Dana" has been my best friend since 1995. We did so many things together, until she had gastric bypass surgery three years ago. Mind you, Dana was never fat. She may have been overweight, but she was never morbidly obese. She never participated in any of the fun sports I did, such as mud/obstacle course runs or fun 5Ks. Her lack of participation wasn't due to her weight; she just said it "wasn't for her."

After Dana lost some weight from her surgery, her mindset changed. She started making repeated snide remarks to me about my weight. I have some joint issues that are genetic. She said, "Maybe your weight doesn't help." Eventually, we stopped doing much together.

Lately she has been posting, "Does anyone want to participate?" in mud runs and 5Ks that I do, but she won't ask me. Many people have pointed out that Dana has been copying my life for some time now. We decided to test that theory by purposely posting certain things on Facebook.

If we posted pictures of butterflies, SHE would post pictures of butterflies. If my husband posted an event, SHE would post the same event. I got a full sleeve tattoo on my left arm, and so did she, by the same tattoo artist. She likes things my husband posts and even asked me "if he has a brother."

The whole dynamic is odd. Some say imitation is flattery, but I'm not flattered. More and more people say she's trying to be me. I don't want to be friends with Dana anymore. Am I overreacting? -- DON'T WANT A TWIN

DEAR DON'T WANT: No, you aren't. Imitation is flattery, but when it's done to the extent that it makes the role model uncomfortable, it is going overboard. What Dana has been doing is more than a little bit creepy. You stated that the two of you are no longer as friendly as you were before her surgery. To the extent possible, I'm suggesting you remove her from your social media platforms, and so should your husband.

DEAR ABBY: I recently received a message from my 38-year-old daughter telling me she no longer wants me in her life. Due to circumstances over which I had no control, she didn't find out I was her birth father until she was 13. As far as I know, we've had a good father-daughter relationship. But recently, the man who raised her until she turned 13 died, and she has distanced herself from me with no explanation. I need to know how to handle this. Please help me. -- SHUT-OUT FATHER

DEAR SHUT-OUT FATHER: Your daughter has just lost the father who raised her during her formative years. She is grieving. This may be her way of trying to cushion herself from the pain of losing her other father in the event of your own death. Not knowing her, I can't offer more insight. However, a way to handle this would be to communicate to her that you love her and always will, and if she changes her mind, you will always be there for her. Then, please, go on with your life.