This touches on one of the real problems of our time. So many people have never given a party that they have no idea what the hostess is going through.

A related problem is the relatives who cannot be bothered with the little courtesies that keep a relationship alive - such as answering an e-mail, sending a Christmas card, saying thank you for a gift. They don't realize that relationships can wither away.

I am thinking of having a bumpersticker made that simply says "Respond."