DEAR ABBY: My parents will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and my mother's 70th birthday in March. They have invited my siblings and me, plus our spouses and grandchildren for a Caribbean cruise. The celebration was planned around a time when most of us could take time off work and school. Unfortunately, the event coincides with my stepdaughter's due date. Her mother (my wife) has already said she will stay behind for the birth.
The problem is, my stepdaughter has said that anyone who misses the birth of her baby will not be allowed to have a relationship with her or her child. How do I make this right for my parents and my stepdaughter? -- TROUBLED IN ILLINOIS
DEAR TROUBLED: You can't. It will be up to your wife to make her daughter understand that the world doesn't revolve around her, and that her attempt to blackmail you into being there for the birth of the baby will not punish you or your family, but rather isolate herself and the child. It's a mistake she'll regret in the future.