DEAR ABBY: My wife of 30 years is suffering from a brain tumor and the effects of treatment. Her illness has been ongoing for about eight years, but has become debilitating during the last three.
We have spent most important holidays with -- and traveled with -- some close friends who were also neighbors. Recently, the other two couples made a trip and didn't invite us or discuss the trip with us. I resent the fact that we were not at least consulted. While I understand that we might be a "problem" to travel with, I'm hurt that the trip was planned without any discussion with us and was kept a secret until departure time. Am I being petty? -- HURT IN LILBURN, GA.
DEAR HURT: I don't think so. Your feelings are understandable, particularly because you're coping with so much stress right now.
Your friends may have acted the way they did because they felt guilty about being able to travel while your wife is not. They may also have been afraid that discussing a trip that you and your wife could not manage would be more hurtful than just going. Obviously, they were wrong, but please try to forgive them.