Family gatherings and festivities are supposed to bring loved ones together, but Greta’s 40th wedding anniversary had the opposite effect. Greta urged her daughter-in-law to bring only one child in order to make space in her crowded home. What she thought was a reasonable request suddenly caused tension, which grew into a major schism. Greta is now seeking advice on how to resolve the matter. Here is her story.

This is Greta’s letter:
My husband and I are celebrating our 40th anniversary with 12 of our closest family members. Our home is small, so I asked my son’s wife to only bring my 9-year-old grandson and leave her other three kids (13, 11, and 10) at home. My son quickly agreed, and the three of them came to the celebration. However, the whole night, she was oddly quiet.
The next day, I found a massive box at my door.