DEAR ABBY: My mother passed away a year and a half ago. My parents were married 50 years. Dad is now 76 and recently started "seeing someone." While my sisters and I weren't thrilled about it, we never said anything negative about her to him.
A few weeks ago he found it necessary to include this woman in our weekly visit to our mother's grave. We told him if he wants to go there with her -- fine. But do not drag her there with us. This was our private time with our mother. We didn't want a stranger there.
The end result was they broke up. Now Dad is blaming it all on us. The breakup is a secondary issue. What are your thoughts about his insisting she be a part of the cemetery visits? -- GRAVELY CONCERNED IN OHIO
DEAR GRAVELY CONCERNED: Frankly, I am surprised that the woman would want to be included in the weekly visits to your mother's grave. However, before she accepted the invitation, she should have made sure that her presence wasn't an imposition by asking your father if it had been cleared with you. As to the "secondary issue" -- I suspect there was more behind the breakup than you have been led to believe.