Dear Ann Landers: I am writing to you today in the hope that my letter will serve as a warning to parents of young children. I do not want them to suffer the tragic loss our family is now going through.
My cousin’s adorable 2-year-old son got up from his nap and crawled out of his crib. He then proceeded to climb up the drawers of the 4-foot-tall dresser in his room. The dresser tipped over and crushed him. He died instantly. Our entire family is devastated. His parents took such good care of him. They had no idea an accident like this was possible.
Ann, toddlers often climb up furniture, and drawers can substitute for steps. Today’s lightweight pieces can tip over easily. Please tell your readers that a visit to the hardware store will save them a lot of grief. All tall dressers or chests in children’s rooms should be bolted to the walls so they cannot be moved.
I hope our pain might save other families from such a tragedy.
— Grieving Relatives in New Jersey
Dear N.J.: My heart goes out to your family. What a tragic and heartbreaking loss. Thank you for telling my readers how important it is to teach their children to stay off the furniture and keep all dressers and chests secured to the walls. Rest assured, your letter has saved some little lives today.
Dear Ann Landers: For the past year, my teenage daughter has been throwing up in order to control her weight. When I first learned of this behavior, I was angry. I thought she was too lazy to discipline herself. Finally, my sister enlightened me. She explained about bulimia and opened my eyes to this terrible illness.
My daughter convinced me that she was in control of the situation, and I believed her. However, when I spoke to her yesterday, she was bitter and angry. She said she hated everyone and her friends were mean. She confessed she is still throwing up on a daily basis and has no idea how to stop. She said her bulimia was routine and she couldn’t remember what her life was like before.
I had no idea of the severity of her problem. What can I do to help her?
— A Distraught Mom in Los Angeles
Dear Mom: Bulimia is a serious illness and requires medical intervention. Please talk to her doctor at once and ask for his help. I also suggest contacting ANAD (Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders). Send a stamped (60 cents), self-addressed, business-size envelope to: ANAD, P.O. Box 7, Highland Park, IL 60035 (www.anad.org).
Dear Ann Landers: Many years ago, I sent you a letter because I needed some advice. I included a lot of personal information about my husband and his family. Even though I wasn’t ordering any booklets, I sent my letter to the booklet address listed at the bottom of your column.
I am scared to death that someone besides you may have a copy of that letter. What if he shows up on my doorstep with incriminating details about my life? Please, Ann, tell me what happens to the letters that are sent to you. I can’t be the only one who is worried about this.
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— Paranoid in Houston
Dear Houston: No need to worry. All the letters, including personal letters sent to the booklet address, come directly to me. (I receive over 2,000 pieces of mail a day.) Some are used for the column, others receive personal replies, but all the letters are shredded when I have finished with them. Feel better now? I hope so.
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Is life passing you by? Want to improve your social skills? Write for Ann Landers’ booklet “How to Make Friends and Stop Being Lonely.” Send a self-addressed, long, business-size envelope and a check or money order for $4.25 (this includes postage and handling) to: Friends, c/o Ann Landers, P.O. Box 11562, Chicago, IL 60611-0562. (In Canada, send $5.15.) To find out more about Ann Landers and read her past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.