DEAR HARRIETTE: I send care packages filled with all kinds of clothes and other goodies to my family members down south. It gives me great joy to put together these boxes, even though most of them are so-called hand-me-downs. My husband and I figured that we were giving away old clothes and electronics to charity when we could give them to family who would benefit from them. The weird thing is that they rarely let us know that they got the packages, let alone if they liked anything. I sent a text the other day just to check on whether my family received the most recent box and got an earful about how much fun it was to open and figure out what each of them wanted. How can I get them to say they got the package at the very least? Their indifference makes me want to just send to charity again. -- Ungrateful, Jackson, Mississippi
DEAR UNGRATEFUL: Be direct with your family. Tell them that you enjoy sending them care packages but you need to know that they have received them. Ask them to agree to let you know when the packages arrive. If they fail to do so, you can decide how to proceed. Even charities say thank you, so you are not wrong to expect an acknowledgment of receipt.