Dear Abby:

My husband and I used to live in the same city as his parents and sisters. We became very close, getting together several times a week. One of his sisters was my best friend. Because of work, we had to move about four hours away. Since then, we have felt increasingly isolated. I tried to call weekly, visit often, and send gifts for every holiday.

About a year in, I realized we were initiating all the contact and tried a little experiment. We stopped calling them. It took more than eight weeks for anyone to contact us. His mother calls his other siblings who live elsewhere every week, but not us. We visit them a few times a year, but they have never visited us despite invitations to do so. My husband is busy with work and, while it hurts him, he is able to forget about it. Alth

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