DEAR ABBY: My husband, "Alex," and I are a young couple and have been married for four years. I recently took a trip with him to visit his uncle and met one of Alex's cousins for the first time.
I was helping my mother-in-law in the kitchen when Alex called me to come and look at something on his computer. I responded, "Sir?" His cousin immediately started poking fun at it, and the rest of his family joined in.
To me, "Sir" is a gesture of respect to my husband. His family seemed to interpret it to mean I think I'm less than an equal in our relationship. This is definitely not the case. Alex and I both make sure to show respect and appreciation to each other in little ways throughout the day.
This isn't the first instance in which someone heard me address my husband as "Sir" and criticized my decision to use the word. Frankly, I have no intention to change the way I interact with my husband. What I'd like to know is, how do I nicely shut the conversation down when people give their unwelcome opinion? -- ANNOYED IN ROUND ROCK, TEXAS
DEAR ANNOYED: It's possible these relatives did not grow up with the same formalities you are used to. If that's the case, smile and say, "I consider calling my husband 'Sir' a sign of respect. That's how I was raised. Don't you think he deserves it?" However, if the teasing doesn't stop, add, "I'm neither downtrodden nor subservient -- and what I call him is really not your business."