Dear Diane,
One of my friends, who does not have a lot of expendable cash, gave me a gorgeous pair of gloves right before I left to New York City for an internship program. Soon after I arrived, I left one of the gloves in a taxi during my commute to work! Although I want to let her know what happened, I do not want to hurt her feelings. Should I keep it to myself or share the bad news?
Gabrielle V.
Dear Gabrielle,
If you are willing and able to replace the missing glove with an exact or close substitute, do so discreetly and move on. If you can’t find a replacement and really feel the need to fess up, by all means, share the unfortunate news. A good friend will understand that accidents do happen, and has more than likely experienced a similar situation in their own life.
Explain the situation and let her know how much you loved the gift. Ask if she would mind sharing where she purchased them so you can replace them with the exact pair to remind you of her generosity. There may be a way to order only one glove online through a particular site; it would definitely be worth the research.
Most often the adage “Honesty is the best policy,” holds true, but there is an occasional exception when “Silence is golden” may serve you both best. Use your best judgment and rest assured your intentions are definitely in the right place.
Good luck,
Diane
