Dear Amy : My wife and her sister “Bobbi” have stopped speaking to each other over a disagreement that has now lasted for more than two years. Related Articles Ask Amy: I think my neighbor is in trouble, and I don’t know who to tell Ask Amy: How can we get this family to move out of our affluent neighborhood? Ask Amy: Here’s what happened after the bad career advice from my family Ask Amy: My husband wants me to stay home, but I can’t do that Ask Amy: My unsociable neighbor doesn’t know about me and his wife. When should I tell him? Our families live on opposite coasts, so communication has always relied on phone/video calls.
During the pandemic, my wife made a particular effort to schedule video calls for our young children with their Aunt Bobbi (whom they have only seen in person once or twice). Before one such scheduled call, my wife informed Bobbi that the kids weren’t feeling well and canceled the call. Bobbi was very upset, and what followed was an angry and hurtful exchange based on various unresolved feelings (both related and unrelated), ultimately leading to the complete and mutual estrangement.
As a consequence, no further video calls with the kids were scheduled. Bobbi then emailed me, characterizing my wife’s half of their estrangement as “blocking her access to the kids,” and expecting me to establish for her regular communication with our children. I found this to be awkward and unreasonable, and suggested that she make an effort to repair h.