Dear Ms. LaPooch,
How do you tell your friend that
they have that they have a spot on the back of her shirt?
-Perplexed
Dear Purrplexed,
I think your questions centers
around one larger question: How do
you go about telling friends that there is something unpleasant about them?
You’ve heard of the expression,
“What are friends for?” Well, friends are for support, and when you support
someone, it doesn’t only mean hanging out and having fun. Real support means pointing out to your
friend that something is wrong.
My guardians, Mary and Jim, are
my true friends. When I took
them on a walk the other day, it was a rainy day in Seattle; go figure. I wasn’t going to let a little rain
stop me from relaxing in some the tall green grass. After we get home, they pointed out a muddy smudge on my
coat and removed it immediately with a Baby Wipe. If that hadn’t done the job, Jim would probably have taken
me right into the shower with him for a shampoo. And I would have let him do
it. After all, a girl has to always look her best. You never know who might pop
up unexpectedly, wanting to snap a quick photograph of you.
Even though I was angry and
caught off guard initially for having attention called to the unwanted mark, I
quickly realized that it would be even more embarrassing for me to spend the
rest of my day with a brown blemish on my back, other than the très chic heart-shaped spot I was born
with and display proudly, wherever I go.
Here’s one last important
piece. Break the news when the two
of you are alone, and nobody else is within earshot. Nobody likes it when the whole room has to hear about their
flaws or shortcomings.
All that said, you need to tell
your friend that she has a spot on her shirt, but do it in a respectful and
supportive way. In the end, she
will love you for it.
Love and Licks to you and your
friend,
