A dispute over their mother’s estate drove two sisters apart for three years. Now, a birthday card full of questions might be the basis for a long-overdue conversation. As both sisters wonder what comes next, “Dear Annie” readers look on to see whether this will spark a path toward resolution.

A bond stretching back more than three decades has been shaken by post-election tensions when one friend admitted difficulty spending time with “people like me.” In a letter to “Dear Annie,” the writer grapples with whether political differences have made this once-solid friendship unsalvageable.