Dear Abby

DEAR ABBY: My 14-year-old daughter, “Melissa,” is bisexual.
Most girls her age have sleepovers, but my husband says that
any girl Melissa likes should be considered the same as a
boyfriend, so it is not appropriate for her to spend the
night.

I disagree. A girlfriend is not the same — mainly because
Melissa won’t end up getting pregnant after spending the
night with a girl. What do you think?
– MOM IN ST. PETERSBURG, FLA.

DEAR MOM: If Melissa is romantically attracted to a par-
ticular girl, your husband has a valid point. However, he
is mistaken if he thinks that because Melissa is bisexual
she is attracted to EVERY female she meets. That is no more
true than the idea that heterosexual individuals are sexu-
ally attracted to EVERY member of the opposite sex. When it
comes to friendships, most are platonic — and you and your
husband should keep that in mind before deciding whether or
not to allow your daughter to participate in sleepovers.

DEAR ABBY: My husband, “Donald,” and I are retired. He
attends social meetings about four times a month. Food is
served at these meetings, and he usually brings part of the
meal home. Then he announces that the food is “his” and
that I shouldn’t eat any.

Abby, his “take-home” will stay in the refrigerator for a
day or so, and I have to see it every time I open the door.
It often looks delicious — not the kind of thing we usually
have for meals at home. Don will then eat it in front of me,
and it kills me that he won’t share.

I have tried telling my husband that he should share his
food, but it throws him into a rage. He claims the food is
his because it was part of a meal he didn’t finish and
brought home to eat.

I’d like your opinion because I consider this cruel. Who’s
right?
– JAYNE IN MIAMI

DEAR JAYNE: You are, and I can see how your husband’s
behavior is hard to swallow. His actions are not only selfish
but also intimidating. People who won’t share food are
usually selfish about other things as well.

Allow me to share a bit of advice: On the nights when your
husband is socializing, make some plans with some of your
women friends. Because you’re not getting your treats at
home, get them elsewhere.

DEAR ABBY: As the years have passed, my brown hair has
slowly been replaced by threads of silver. Friends and
relatives have teased me about it. I don’t let their remarks
bother me, but certain individuals do irritate me with their
remarks. So I came up with a comeback to address their
comments.

I tell them with a smile that each of my white hairs repre-
sents a “seed of wisdom” in my “field” of knowledge. I love
seeing their expressions when I say this. Perhaps this will
help other seniors. What do you think, Abby?
– R.J.P. IN MAINE

DEAR R.J.P: The decision to color one’s hair — or not — is
a personal one. Some people prefer to let nature take its
course while others would rather “curl up and dye” than show
any gray. I respect not only your refusal to be “teased” into
doing something you don’t want to do, but also that you do
it with humor.

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