DEAR ABBY: I am a man in my late 60s who hasn’t had a family birthday party since I was a child. My mother’s birthday is seven days from mine, so celebrations were always for her, and mine were sort of lost in the shuffle. This was never a problem for me when I was younger, but as I get older, I think it would be nice to have a party.
When I was 50, there was a surprise party for me, but shortly after the party started, I was informed that I was sharing the event with Mom. When we sat down together to open gifts, Mom had many, and I had few. Later, many guests apologized and said they had not been told the party was for me, just Mom.
I may have appeared upset, but, because I did not want to hurt her feelings, I told my sister I was uncomfortable being celebrated. She spread this to other family members, which is the reason everyone has avoided celebrations for me ever since. Is this fixable without hurting anyone, or has this misunderstanding doomed me to a partyless life? — NOT A PARTY ANIMAL
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