Dear Abby: A few years ago, my husband and I were invited to the wedding of a close friend’s daughter. We stayed two nights at the destination and gave a $300 cash gift to the newlyweds. The evening of the wedding, when I went to put my gift into the box for cards and gifts, the big wooden box was gone. The bartender said the couple had already taken it to their room, but he would take the envelope and make sure they got it. I gave it to him.

After six months, I hadn’t received a thank-you note, so I asked my friend if the couple had gotten my gift. I told her I was concerned because it was cash and I had given it to the bartender. She asked her daughter, who told her to tell me, “We got it.” Since then, my friendship with this friend seems to have become very distant. Tell me, was I wrong?

— Mystified In New York

Dear Mystified,

You weren’t wrong. Considering the odd circumstances, you did exactly the right thing by asking if the cash had been received. Your friend, however, may have interpreted your question as criticism of her daughter because, after six months, you hadn’t received an acknowledgment of your generous gift.

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Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.