Family boundaries and celebrations: Why exclusion from a dinner plan led to a difficult decision regarding a birthday event

The empty space at the table screamed louder than any shout could have. We were at my mother-in-law’s seventieth birthday dinner in Rome, surrounded by the amber glow of the Eternal City, yet the only thing I could focus on was the void where my chair should have been.

My husband, Sean, let out a light, practiced chuckle. “Oops,” he said, the sound continue reading …