� S T A R S A N D S T R I P E S � Wednesday, February 10, 2010PAGE 20 O F3HIJKLM
Dear Abby: I am 20 and live
most of the year on my college
campus. I'm on a full scholarship,
so my parents are not paying my
tuition. Most of my mail -- bank
statements, etc. -- still goes to my
parents' house since I don't have
a permanent address.
For the past two
years, my mother
has opened my bank
statement and read
the entire thing. She
then calls me and goes
through all of my card
charges and asks me
to explain where I was
and what I bought.
I have tried telling
her that I am an adult
and that what I buy is
my business, but she
continues to do this
every month. I explained that I
am capable of managing my own
finances.
I understand she will always be
concerned about my well-being,
financial and otherwise, but this
is taking it too far. How can I ex-
plain to her that it's not OK to in-
vade my privacy?
-- College Co-Ed
in Williamsburg, Va.
Dear College Co-Ed: A mother
may always have the right to
worry, but she does not always
have the right to snoop. Because
you have already tried
explaining to her that
you feel what she's
doing is an invasion
of privacy and the
message isn't getting
through, it's time for
you to open a post of-
fice box near the cam-
pus and have your mail
sent there.
Dear Abby: After
my mother died two
years ago, my sis-
ters and I divided up
her household items
equally. One item, which went to
my younger sister, "Beth," was
a brightly colored handmade
American Indian rug our parents
bought in the 1950s in Arizona. It
had been displayed prominently
for decades on a wall in the house
where we three children grew up.
I visited Beth recently and was
shocked to see that she had taken
the rug out of storage and was
usingitasafloorruginherfamily
room. I shuddered to think of the
damage that a daily trample by
her three kids has done. I asked
her to reconsider and find some-
where else to display it. If she
couldn't, I offered to trade it for
something of her choice from my
parcel of the family possessions.
Beth took offense, reminding
me that it is, after all, a rug. Am I
wrong in thinking she should not
trash this heirloom?
-- Sentimental
in Hartford, Conn.
Dear Sentimental: The rug be-
longs to your sister, to do with as
she pleases. HOWEVER, her rug
purchased in the 1950s could be
extremely valuable. Has your
sister had it appraised? If not, I
am urging you to tell her to have
it done.
Letters for this column -- with your
name and phone number -- should
be addressed to Dear Abby, P.O. Box
69440, Los Angeles CA 90069. Readers
can write to Abby on the Internet at
http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby
Universal Press Syndicate
Nosy mom reads bank statements
Dear Abby

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