DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My brother borrowed my car a few months ago so he could get to work while his car was in the shop. When he came out from work at the end of the day, he saw that someone had backed into my car and damaged the rear fender and bumper. So I wouldn’t have to put in an insurance claim, he offered to cover the cost of repairs out-of-pocket, which I was OK with at the time.

I paid for the repairs when I picked up the car, which I needed right away. The same day I sent him the bill, which he promised to take care of right away. So far nothing. Both my wife and I have reminded my brother that he still owes us the cost of the repairs and he tells us he’ll get us the money after he gets paid next, and that was too many paydays ago. I am beginning to wonder if he intends to pay at all.

I don’t want to have hard feelings with my brother about this, but I also want him to uphold his part of the bargain. With the holidays coming, we can really use the money.

What do you think my next step should be? --- STILL WAITING FOR PAYMENT

DEAR STILL WAITING FOR PAYMENT: I think your next step should be to bug the heck out of him until he coughs up the repayment, reminding him how much you need the cash now.

Beyond that, I would advise you to never again lend anything of value to your brother.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My wife is a competent cook when she follows a recipe. However, she thinks she has a real flair for cooking and will go off script to “improve” a dish. The trouble is her improvements more often than not result in an inedible mess.

I do not want to discourage her from cooking, especially since she enjoys it so much, but I don’t know how many more unappetizing meals I can take. How blunt should I be with my test kitchen cook? --- FOLLOW THE RECIPE

DEAR FOLLOW THE RECIPE: It sounds like your wife’s creativity doesn’t yield a 100 percent failure rate, which may be a good starting point whenever you speak to her about her cooking.

Perhaps the way to go is to make clear how much you like the successful experiments and encourage her to use those ingredients and combinations more often.

A gentle push in the right direction might work better than spotlighting her misfires.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I work at a long-term care facility in a state that currently allows window and outdoor visits only. My center stated weeks ago that there will be no big Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends this year, and the administration has told families that if they take their loved ones home for the day, they may be subject to a two-week in-room quarantine when they return.

I get the need to take precautions, but I find it only gets harder to explain to our residents why they can’t be with their loved ones the way they always could be before. Most of the people in our facility are in their 80s and 90s, and I see how hard it is on them to be living even more separated from the outside world and the people they love. Many of them have obviously declined more than they probably would have if things were more normal.

I already volunteered to work on Thanksgiving Day. I know how hard it’s going to be for a lot of people and I just wanted to ask you to let people know that as hard as it is for those on the outside who don’t get to see their loved ones in person, it’s even harder on the people who live in nursing homes and assisted living apartment buildings.

Please urge people to remember those who are not able to be with those they love, especially during this difficult year’s holidays. --- PLEASE DON’T FORGET

DEAR PLEASE DON’T FORGET: As a family member of someone in an assisted living community, I appreciate your efforts to remind us all about how the pandemic particularly affects an already vulnerable part of our population and the people who love them.

Thank you and all those who care for and about patients and residents in healthcare centers everywhere.

Stay safe and well.