DEAR ANNIE: I have a very dear friend who is like family. I am 20 years older than she is, and at times I feel more like a surrogate mother than a big sister.

I’ve been thinking back, and a lot of things have gone missing, and I simply thought that I must not have bought what I thought, or used all of something and not remembered, but that's not the case. Getty Images. dpa/picture alliance via Getty I This column was originally posted in 2022.

I have asked her before about things missing or if she “accidentally” picked something up, and she would be honest and return it the next day.

"I’m afraid the little things will become larger and the boys will think this behavior is acceptable if we don’t stop it now."