Navigating Friendship Challenges: Insights from Ask Amy

A mother seeks advice on how to handle her son's devastation after discovering that his six best high school friends went on a graduation trip to Europe without him. The mother wonders why the parents didn't teach their kids about treating friends with respect. The columnist advises the mother to empathize with her son, convey her support, and encourage him to express his feelings to his friends. She emphasizes that while it's important for the son to handle the situation himself, the mother should keep the communication channel open and be there for him as he navigates college and builds new friendships.