DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a step-niece who never writes thank-you notes. This is normally a mere annoyance because it makes it impossible for me to know for sure if a birthday card or gift arrived safely, but I've come to expect the lack of acknowledgment for the normal gift-giving instances.

I sent this niece a graduation card with a monetary gift enclosed. I shouldn't have been surprised that a thank-you never arrived -- either in written form, email, text, or even through her parents -- although I'd hoped that the special occasion might have inspired a sudden burst of politeness.

No such luck. However, in this case, I'm finding it much harder to get over my annoyance. It's especially difficult to be gracious when my brother asks me to mentor this girl (his stepdaughter) as she begins her studies at my college alma mater. I don't warrant a thank-you note, but it's perfectly OK to hit me up for my time and advice?

So, given that changing this girl's lack of manners is most likely impossible, can you advise me of a mantra I can say to myself that allows me to keep up good family relations? I will see this family in a few short weeks, and I don't want my grudge to show.

GENTLE READER: As your brother has invited you to mentor this girl, your first act of advice could be about encouraging kindness and generosity by showing gratitude. Not only will this ease the unpleasantness for you, but it will also be extremely useful to her in future business and social relationships.

While Miss Manners does not generally condone chastising people for their etiquette transgressions (that, after all, is her lot in life), in this particular case, you have been invited to help the poor girl out. If worded properly and kindly ("Now that you are in college, you are going to want to be sure to express thanks for any acts of kindness, if for no other reason than to show that you are grateful and make them want to continue"), correcting her behavior would help everyone out.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: On a sunny morning, I put on my running shoes and took the same tour I always do. Unfortunately, this time, a funeral just started at the church I always pass. The funeral car was still on the way to the church and the family of the departed were walking behind the car.

I was running on the sidewalk, in the opposite direction. It was so weird, that group of people were mourning, and I was running happily, thanking God for the beautiful weather. Should I have stopped running until they passed? What is the right thing to do?

GENTLE READER: Unless you are physically in their way, Miss Manners does not -- nor would anyone -- expect you to cease all activity and pretend you are temporarily among the bereaved. An alternative to stopping your run would be going across the street so as to maintain a respectful distance as a courtesy.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A mom takes lots of pictures of her daughters. The baby is almost 1 year old; the other is 5. She posts the photos on social media with captions such as "Baby versus girl." The baby's thighs are often mentioned with the nickname "Pork Chops." The mom often refers to the differences in her girls' body sizes.

The photos that sent me over the edge were two pictures of the mom measuring the girls' thighs, showing the baby's thigh was as large as the girl's. I wrote the mom a private message saying I wished she wouldn't do that, and the mom blew up.

So many females have negative body images, and I was afraid the mom was sending the wrong message to her daughters. Now what do I do?

GENTLE READER: Abusive actions call for sterner interventions than those available to etiquette. But failing such extreme situations, Miss Manners notes that it is just as difficult to discipline other people's parents as it is to discipline other people's children. Part-time parenting from third parties is usually as futile as it is unwelcome. You owe her an apology -- not for your view, but for interfering.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: This will probably come off as conceited and self-absorbed, but I need to know! We are trying to budget our wedding, but how can we do that if a percentage is hanging in limbo?

I do not expect my parents to help us, as they have already given us more than we ever thought, and we haven't heard a peep from them. I am on great terms with his mother, so I would have no problem straight up asking for a yes or no, but God bless my fiance, he doesn't even want to ask.

So, am I rude to even ask, or do I have the right to know so I can keep planning with or without the money?

GENTLE READER: Please do not begin your marriage by pushing your fiance to extract money from his parents, when you know that he does not want to do so. (And God bless him for that, indeed.)

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband's family uses what I term "third-party communication." In other words, rather than contacting me about something that pertains to me, such as my car, they will contact him, who in turn contacts me.

None of them see anything wrong with this. I consider it going around me, which I find offensive, and they say this is how they've always done it, and that basically I'm the only one who has a problem with it and I'm being ridiculous about it.

I would like to know what the official etiquette protocol is, and I would venture to say that it isn't their method.

GENTLE READER: Whether or not this is how your in-laws are used to communicating, it has a flaw that Miss Manners suggests you use to your advantage. Not being present, how can your in-laws be sure the message was delivered?

But, as you ask, "official protocol" often does countenance or even suggest conveying potentially annoying messages through those known to be on closer terms with the recipient.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR MISS MANNERS -- Thanksgiving Day, 15 for dinner. Everyone wants to bring something, so a "want list" is made and guests sign names to what they will bring.

One guest asks to bring two main vegetable dishes and is told that the dishes are already taken by another guest. She says that she is bringing one of the dishes anyway because her kids (all adult) like it. She asks to bring the other dish and is told no.

This guest is in charge of all the appetizers because they were the only items left -- she waited until the day before Thanksgiving to look at the list. This guest is also notoriously late so I (and I know that it is rude) asked her to come on time because there would be no other food for the guests until dinner.

Ten minutes after she was expected, she called and said that she would be a little late but she was sending her daughter with the appetizers. Her daughter arrived, but with only a few items and was missing crackers and dip for a veggie platter.

An hour and half late, she arrived with the missing appetizers and began to put them out. I asked her not to, because we were preparing food for the table, and she put them away but acted like I had a vendetta against her. The front door opens, and the two dishes that she was requested not to bring were brought in and put on the dining table.

This behavior has happened on and off over the years, but I thought that the sign-up list and telling her no would be adequate.

To top off a ruined holiday meal for me, another guest cornered me in the kitchen after the dinner, telling me that she hoped that she was "not overstepping her boundaries," but that she was worried about my health and my weight, and talked for minutes about getting healthy, buying an exercise bike, etc.

I smiled and responded politely and wondered why these two guests were brought up in barns.

How can you ensure that your guests (relatives) will be respectful of your meal, respectful of the work and planning of a meal, and respectful of me as a hostess? Any hints?

GENTLE READER: If clear instructions don't work, hints are not likely to help. The best solution would be to trade in this crowd for a more reliable set.

Failing that, you should get to know the ones you have. You know that Irma is always late, so you don't trust her with the hors d'oeuvres or anything else essential to the meal. You know that she is going to bring what she wants, regardless of what you say, so you set up a separate little table for them and announce, "Look at all the extra treats Irma brought us!"

You also know that someone is going to tell you how to improve your life -- in every holiday gathering, there is at least one person who does -- so Miss Manners advises you to practice saying, "Do you really think I could hope to become more like you?"

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I read Miss Manners faithfully each week, and only just now find myself wondering, whom does Miss Manners consult when she is stumped by a gentle reader's question?

GENTLE READER: But this is the first question that has stumped her.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)