Mother-in-law feels frozen out
Dear Annie: My daughterin-law could probably have written the letter about the person trying too hard to please their disapproving mother-in-law.
The reality is that there are always two sides to every story. Mine is that at some point, I did or said something to hurt my daughter-in-law. But I am not allowed to know what that was. So, any apology seems empty, although I have tried.
She now treats our entire family with complete apathy. We try. We send cards and acknowledge birthdays, anniversaries and holidays, despite having received no reciprocation for years. We offer to visit cross-country but are told it is a bad time. We offer to video chat but are often rejected. Our son does contact us with the grandchildren on occasion.
We would love to be a part of our grandkids’ lives, but rejection gets harder and harder with time. We are blocked from Facebook posts and are not allowed to know our granddaughter’s cell number. It is all very sad indeed.
Our daughter-in-law is loved and cared for, but her perception is that she is not. Please encourage others to forgive and reconcile. Life is too short to allow bitterness to fester and relationships to be destroyed.
A bright note is that our son’s in-laws treat us with love and respect, and they are thankful that they have us in their lives. — Two Sides to Every Story
Dear Two Sides to Every Story: Thank you for this different perspective. Forgiveness is a gift for you to give yourself as well as your daughter-inlaw. The problem with her seems to be caused by her issues, not yours. But keep trying. Her parents’ kindness is reason for hope.
Dear Annie: I hope you will print my response to “Irked,” who had to convert milliliters to teaspoons. Any pharmacy would be glad to provide a dosing spoon, cup or syringe with your prescription. People often use regular spoons instead of more accurate measuring spoons. That’s a mistak because regular teaspoons and tablespoons are not standard. People could over- or underdose themselves. — Pharmacy Technician in NH
Dear Pharmacy Tech: Thank you for your expert advice. I hope this will help anyone who is confused by dosing sizes.