Copyright MassLive
Dear Eric: I am organizing a workplace event for approximately 50 participants and requested that they RSVP. To date, only five individuals have responded. Should I assume that the remaining invitees will not attend? If some of them arrive without confirming, how should I manage the situation? Given my limited budget, is it necessary to prepare food for all 50 people? — Confused Dear Confused: Send out a “last call” reminder to RSVP and be sure to note that if people don’t RSVP, you can’t guarantee that there will be space or food for them. And then only prepare enough for the yeses, with a buffer of an extra 10% or so, to help navigate anything unexpected. Dear Eric: Your answer to “Concerned Dad”, the letter writer who was worried his daughter had fallen for another “player,” left me wondering, “are you kidding?” The flashing, warning sign was obvious in Dad’s third paragraph: “…after over three months, they have not seen each other on a weekend.” The guy is either married or has a full-time relationship going on. I write this “opinion” from the perspective of the many single women who buy into the “tired/migraine/busy” excuses. Daughter needs to face reality, and Dad needs to understand she doesn’t want to. Thanks for many fun morning conversations with my husband. — Been There Dear Been There: Quite possibly so. If the daughter had written in, I’d have been more inclined to reply, “find someone who can see you during non-business hours.” But the dad, for all of his good intentions, is letting his concerns get him too involved in his daughter’s dating life. He’s expressed his opinion, and she’s made her choice. Sometimes we can’t pester our loved ones into better choices. But, to build on Ann Landers, when they wake up and smell the coffee, we can be there with a fresh mug and a supportive shoulder. (Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.) ©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
