"A few years ago, my brother-in-law and his wife stopped inviting us. (They still invite my husband's parents to everything). We don't know the reason; there was no fight or misunderstanding or awkward interactions. We in turn no longer invite them to our smaller occasions. Weddings and other big occasions are different; everyone is invited. However, every time we are celebrating our birthdays or anniversary, my husband starts insisting on inviting his brother."
"But what you really want is to not be hurt at all. And so, trading slights is not going to get you there. Ask the brother-in-law and his wife why they stopped inviting you and ask that they start again. They might agree, they might refuse, they might claim that you stopped inviting them first. There's no way to know without a conversation."
One spouse faces repeated requests to invite an only sibling who no longer reciprocates invitations, creating recurring arguments. The underlying emotions are hurt and attempts to balance perceived slights. The constructive steps are to stop tit‑for‑tat behavior, ask the sibling and spouse directly why invitations stopped, and request renewed reciprocity. Prepare for any response and accept uncertain outcomes. Set clear household rules: permit the husband to invite his brother to his own celebrations if desired, limit invitations to larger events, or decline smaller occasions as a boundary. Prioritize direct communication and mutual agreement to end ongoing conflict.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]