Title: Family Lunch Turns into Sales Pitch: Is it Appropriate?
After the recent passing of her husband’s younger brother, a woman reaches out to advice columnist Abby for help with a situation that occurred during a family gathering. She explains that they were invited to lunch with a group of nephews, who were in a city an hour away from them. The restaurant they chose held sentimental value as it was where the nephews had first been introduced to beer by their now-deceased uncle. Initially, the husband was reluctant to attend, considering it silly to drive that far for a meal. However, the wife convinced him to go, emphasizing the importance of celebrating family ties.
To their surprise, one of the nephews had arranged for a Realtor friend, who works with an estate sale agent, to attend the lunch. This friend took the opportunity to pitch a sales proposal to the husband, who is the administrator of his late brother’s estate. The wife was offended by this intrusion and felt that the timing and location were entirely inappropriate for a sales pitch. However, the husband saw nothing wrong with it and considered the aggressive and youthful nature of the Realtor an advantage in selling the estate.
The wife now questions whether her upset over the incident is warranted. She contemplates excluding the Realtor from consideration due to his insensitivity, but acknowledges that the final decision rests with her husband. Abby responds by acknowledging the insensitivity of turning a family gathering into a business meeting, but recommends moving forward from this incident now that it has happened. Abby advises the wife to let her husband make the decision regarding the Realtor, while she stays out of the line of fire.
In another letter, a reader seeks guidance on how to deal with a jealous adult sibling. The reader explains that although their sibling has never spoken about this jealousy, their sibling’s partner made it evident that they felt the reader was favored by their parents. The reader brought up the matter with their mother, who revealed that they had consistently helped the sibling out of financial problems. Despite their sibling having passed away, the reader’s in-law continues to bring up the issue of favoritism, sharing details of their feelings. The reader wonders how they should respond if the in-law brings up the topic again.
Abby suggests that the reader firmly express their exhaustion with hearing about the issue. She advises the reader to direct the in-law to address any complaints with their parents directly if they have any. Abby further emphasizes that the reader should not feel guilty, especially if the sibling was irresponsible with money. The reader has nothing to feel guilty about, and it appears that the in-law is attempting to place the blame on them.
Abby concludes the column by signing off as Jeanne Phillips, the alternate name she uses for writing the Dear Abby column.
