Dear Eric,

For several years now, our family has enjoyed the tradition of ringing in the New Year alongside another family at a specific spot along the Jersey Shore. This annual getaway has been a cherished part of our lives.

This year, however, things took an unexpected turn. We didn’t book the hotel, and the trip was never discussed throughout the year. We presumed it simply wasn’t happening this time around.

To our surprise, just a couple of weeks before the New Year, the other family casually informed us that they had indeed reserved a room at our usual hotel. They invited us to join, but given the short notice, it was impossible for us to make arrangements.

This left me with the unsettling feeling that they might have deliberately kept us out of the loop. If not, wouldn’t they have mentioned their plans while making the booking?

Ultimately, they went ahead with the trip, engaging in all the activities we typically enjoy together, and shared it all on social media. I found myself growing increasingly upset as I viewed their posts. This felt like a significant breach of trust, and I currently have little desire to see them.

We’ve been very close friends for more than a decade. I’m not sure how to get over this hurt. It really dampened my spirits this holiday season. What should our next steps be? Break up?

– Left Behind

Dear Left Behind: Ask them outright, “what happened with our New Year’s trip?” You might even tell them how you’re feeling about what happened. They may not know what you’re thinking, and they might be eager to make things right.

They might also be feeling something similar. It’s possible, isn’t it, that since you didn’t mention anything about the trip either, they could have thought you were backing away from them. Better to clear the air, and establish better communication for next time, than to break up hurting.

Dear Eric: I am a regular reader of “Asking Eric” and would like to offer another idea for the letter signed “Dining Dilemma”, from an older couple who were distressed about not being able to afford to tip when they went out to eat. I’m even older and address this problem by going out for lunch instead of dinner. Food is just as good and there is usually some to take home for later. The biggest bonus is that it is usually cheaper. My local restaurant has a special luncheon menu: Soup or salad, main course, dessert and coffee or tea. I live where the tip needs to be 20 percent but the total still comes out less than a dinner main course. Keep up the good advice, I enjoy your “good read.”

– Happy Diner

Dear Diner: Lunch instead of dinner is another great option, especially for folks who, like the letter writers, eat out multiple times a month.

I also want to correct something in my original response. I wrote that “most servers earn $2.83 an hour” and quite a few readers, especially those reading in Oregon (hello, and thank you for reading), pointed out that that’s not accurate.

I regret the error. Per the Department of Labor’s Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees chart (available online at: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped), the minimum cash wage varies state-to-state. There are eight states and territories where the minimum cash wage is much higher, and the restaurants are required to pay servers the full state minimum wage before tips. On the other hand, there are 29 states and territories with a minimum cash wage under $4, with the majority of those being $2.13.

Tipping remains a flash point for many. But, no matter how one feels about tipping, this isn’t a system that servers created or are perpetuating any more than any of us created the expectations of our jobs. In America, the position has a built-in agreement that they will be tipped for the work, which is often quite demanding. Additionally, servers are usually required to give a portion of their tips to bartenders, bussers and sometimes other staff. Being resentful that servers “expect” a tip is putting the blame in the wrong place. This isn’t an ideal system, but it’s the system we’re in. There are many restaurants where the restaurant pays a living wage, and tipping isn’t part of the culture. It’s helpful for all diners to find out what the economic structure of your favorite restaurants are. It’s something in which you’re an active participant, tip or not, so it’s good to know.

(Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.)

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