DEAR HARRIETTE: I have spent the last semester studying abroad, and I came home last week. My group of friends is really close, and we always make sure we hang out together. While I haven't kept in contact with my friends as much as I could have, I expected that they would call me to go out with them.

I have told them I am back home; however, they have not called to see if I want to go out with them since I have been back. I know they have been going out with each other -- I see their posts on Twitter and Facebook. I am very upset.

Should I ignore them, or should I confront them and ask them why they are not inviting me to go out with them? -- Friendless, Scarsdale, N.Y.

DEAR FRIENDLESS: I understand how sensitive you are feeling about your friends and their exclusion of you. However, I would like for you to look at your situation a little differently.

You mentioned that you reached out to them to say that you are home. You also admitted that you haven't stayed in touch the way that you would have hoped. Have you called them to get together? Rather than sulking about them not inviting you to their various activities, be proactive. Call them. Tell them how much you miss them, and ask if you can hang out with them soon. Extending your hand may be all that's needed.

If, however, they remain chilly, call them back and ask them why they don't want to hang out with you anymore. Tell them you miss them and really want to reconnect.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a good guy friend with whom I have been spending a lot of time lately. We have been friends for many years, and I know that he used to like me while I was dating someone else. I have been single for a while, and I have started to develop a crush on my friend.

I am unsure if he still has the same feelings for me, and I feel like the situation has flipped with me having a crush on him while he does not feel the same way. There have been many opportunities these last few days to tell him how I feel, but I am scared of rejection and the fact that this may ruin our friendship. -- Out on a Limb, Shreveport, La.

DEAR OUT ON A LIMB: Here's the thing: You can wait and wonder and never find out or step out on faith and tell your friend your feelings. Since you already know that he had feelings for you at one time, you know that he could have interest.

Tell him that you think you like him, and you wonder if he still has feelings for you. You can add that you most want to be his friend, but you figured that since you have noticed these feelings, you thought you would tell him to see if he shares them. Listen for his response.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a high school student, and I have been playing the piano for 10 years. It is something that I enjoy. I got a new piano teacher this year. She is a smoker, and her breath is the worst smoker's breath I have ever smelled before. It never used to be this bad!

She sits next to me while I play, and when she talks the smell is nauseating. I try to hold my breath but this makes me mess up. When I mess up, she yells.

How do I tell her that her breath smells so much that it is impacting my piano playing without hurting her feelings? -- Nauseous Pianist, Seattle

DEAR NAUSEOUS PIANIST: This is a tough one. I can imagine how awkward you feel about having to deal with this situation. But I do think that there is a diplomatic way to handle it.

Drum up the courage to speak to your teacher before you sit down at the piano. Apologize for having difficulty playing properly sometimes. Tell her that you want to share something with her that makes you uncomfortable. With her blessing, tell her that you have noticed that she is a smoker, and that, unfortunately, the strong smell of smoke on her breath distracts you when you are playing.

She will likely be embarrassed. Hopefully, she will either brush her teeth before you come for class or not smoke close to your arrival. That may not help enough. You should also tell your mother about your challenge. As good as this teacher may be, you may need to look for someone else to teach you who is a nonsmoker.

DEAR HARRIETTE: A book that might help your readers with the one part of writing that always stumps me -- grammar -- is "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Lynne Truss. I am the queen of run-on (and on) sentences, and this book is a great help! Punctuation is a part of grammar many of us are less acquainted with, and reading this book will help you write sentences that are more readable. -- Compassionate, Chicago

DEAR COMPASSIONATE: Thank you for this recommendation. So many people identify with the challenge that some face when it comes to putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

Not everyone is a naturally gifted writer, but all of us have something to say. The general sentiment from everyone who has written in to support the reader who lacks grammar skills is that he should not give up on his desire to write. Go for it, even if there may be errors. For novice writers, it's often true that sentences may come out clumsily or flat. It doesn't matter. Just write. As many Mamas have said, "Practice makes perfect." And with a bit of help from grammar books, writing workshops and honest support from others, virtually any novice writer can become proficient at expressing him or herself.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I enjoy reading your column; you seem to have the good sense necessary to make a success of it.

One thing came up that I would like to comment on. "Child of God" wrote to you complaining about people using the name of God carelessly. I agree with her complaint and with your answer, but there is another dimension that needs to be addressed. She said Christians should be offended, and your response spoke of Christian tradition, but the prohibition against using God's name in vain comes originally from the Jewish Torah at Exodus 20:7 (the Second Commandment). It exists in Christian tradition because Christians adopted a good deal of Jewish tradition. Too many Christians today talk as if there are two groups: Christians and heathens.

I worked in Germany for several years. One of my colleagues there was an intelligent and friendly man who complained about some facets of society and spoke of "Christian values." I stopped him and asked him to give some examples of these values. Everything he listed came from Jewish tradition, and many are common to almost all religions.

It helps to remind folks that there are other traditions and religions that worship God, too, especially where the Christian tradition is not original. -- Faithful, Washington, D.C.

DEAR FAITHFUL: Thank you for your clarification and for broadening the discussion. We live in a world of many religions. It is wise to learn about the ways in which others practice their faith.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I had a friend who was publicly humiliated. She drove drunk, hit a car and left the scene, but, ultimately, she was tracked down and arrested. It was in the papers. What she did was terrible, but she is a good person: She is always nice to me, and she did a lot for the community, which made it all that much worse.

I sent her a note, telling her I heard of the accident she caused, but I let her know that my opinion of her did not change. I did this for two reasons. First, she was -- and still is -- a great person. Second, I did not want her to be embarrassed when she saw me. There was enough of that to go around in our town. She was grateful, and I know I did a good thing for her when she was feeling terrible. We know when we fail, but we want to know our friends and acquaintances can still see the good in us. -- Standing Up for a Friend, St. Charles, Ill.

DEAR STANDING UP: Thank you for sharing your story. It's important in the healing process for people who have been humiliated to have someone who loves them and supports them through it. This doesn't mean that the supportive person should overlook the situation; it means to do just what you did, for the person to reach out to express compassion and connection.

It can be excruciatingly difficult to face up to one's bad behavior. When you know that someone has your back in spite of your misdeeds, it can be much easier to face yourself and do your best to fix the situation at hand.