Dear Abby,
Let's get one thing out of the way, my wife and my sister in law (my brother's wife) do not get along well. It is largely unspoken and it has never resulted in anything more than hurt feelings, since both of them realize that making a scene would only make things worse and make them look foolish in return. Obviously I take my wife's side of things, so I won't bore anyone with the details; let's just say there are logical reasons for the conflict.
Here's my problem. We made plans to visit my parents on Christmas Eve, a day that supposedly my bother and his wife had other plans. Since then, my parents have relayed this information to them and suddenly they are free for dinner. So what was supposed to be a pleasurable evening with my folks has now become a chore, not to mention the fact that I have yet to tell my wife. I am struggling with the decision to tell my parents how we feel, since in their eyes, it will likely seem that we are being shallow and childish. I am dreading this evening, but I don't want to punish my parents for what is obviously not their problem.
Anyone have any thoughts as to how to make this easier?
Let's get one thing out of the way, my wife and my sister in law (my brother's wife) do not get along well. It is largely unspoken and it has never resulted in anything more than hurt feelings, since both of them realize that making a scene would only make things worse and make them look foolish in return. Obviously I take my wife's side of things, so I won't bore anyone with the details; let's just say there are logical reasons for the conflict.
Here's my problem. We made plans to visit my parents on Christmas Eve, a day that supposedly my bother and his wife had other plans. Since then, my parents have relayed this information to them and suddenly they are free for dinner. So what was supposed to be a pleasurable evening with my folks has now become a chore, not to mention the fact that I have yet to tell my wife. I am struggling with the decision to tell my parents how we feel, since in their eyes, it will likely seem that we are being shallow and childish. I am dreading this evening, but I don't want to punish my parents for what is obviously not their problem.
Anyone have any thoughts as to how to make this easier?
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