DEAR ABBY: My parents are planning a family vacation -- it's an annual tradition in my family. The problem is my sister-in-law has been inviting members of her family without consulting my parents beforehand.
This is supposed to be a special event that both my parents and I feel should be limited to only our side of the family, not hers. We feel helpless to stop her from inviting everyone in her family, because we don't know how to tell her, "Please stop because this is not an open invitation event."
She has done this before with other events, and the results were chaotic. The last thing we want is to have this vacation in chaos, but if her family is there it will be inevitable.
What can we do to stop this without stirring up a hornet's nest? Or must we all smile through gritted teeth all throughout this vacation? -- GRITTING AWAY IN SAN JOSE
DEAR GRITTING AWAY: It's time your parents stop gritting their teeth and bite the bullet. Because they are planning this family getaway, it's up to them to tell their son and his wife that this isn't a cattle call -- and the invitations she issued will have to be postponed for another occasion (when you all will have been fortified with tranquilizers).