Ask Amy: A mom ponders her quiet daughter

Dear Amy: We have a 15-year-old daughter who is very introverted. She is happiest being home alone.

She has a group of friends she has known for about nine years, and the group often does things together. But as they have grown up, the other girls have branched out into sports and other time-intensive interests, while my daughter prefers to spend time drawing and painting.

She will go on group activities, but usually only if one particular friend is there with her. Otherwise, she prefers to stay home.

My husband has a similar personality. I, on the other hand, like to see friends and family a few times a week.

I can't help but feel anxious about her not having friends because it reminds me of feeling left out in my teen and young adult years. How can I relax and be sure that she isn't me and that she is content with being more alone?

Amy says: Your daughter is not you. She also is not her father. She is herself.

Every teen faces challenges and challenging times, but your daughter isn't indicating that she has a problem. She does have friends, and like many quiet people, she is most comfortable with one person. And like many creative people, she prefers to be alone in order to express her creative vision.

A companion book for young people (written by Susan Cain, Erica Moroz and Gregory Mone) might be useful, too. Check out "Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverted Kids" (2017, Rocky Pond Books).

Dear Amy: I have casual friends who offered their property to host my daughter's wedding. They have an expansive, beautiful property. But we politely declined because it would be too risky to plan the wedding without a tent, and a tent would not fit into the space.

However, I then asked if they would be willing to allow us to have the shower at their property, and again they generously offered us exclusive use — for free. I am beyond blessed by this, and I am so excited to have my daughter's bridal shower there.

My question is this: Should this couple be invited to the wedding, as a way to thank them for their generosity? We have been trying very hard to cut down the guest list, which is already over our limit.

They are not close friends. However, I feel like I am not returning the generosity. What should I do?

You should send them a note, in addition to a gift — perhaps a fruit tree they could plant, or a gift certificate to a lawn and garden center.

Dear Amy: I'd like to offer my support to the letter writer who thought his overseas niece should respond to her mother's daily texts.

The brief time it takes for the daughter to respond to her mother means the difference between Mom going about her day without the added anxiety of worrying so much about her daughter.

As a daughter who's recently lost her mother, I would gladly spend those few seconds to make her day better, if I could.

Amy says: Absolutely.