Am I wrong for limiting who can come to my graduation because of my parents’ past?
I’m graduating soon and what should be a happy day has turned into a huge family issue.
My parents divorced a few years ago after my mom cheated on my dad with the man she is now married to. My dad is still deeply hurt by it. My mom wants to bring her husband to my graduation, but my dad says it is disrespectful and keeps arguing about it. He has said he would not fight at the graduation, but he has also made it clear that if he sees my mom’s husband he may confront him or say something.
I tried to keep the peace, but I got stuck in the middle. My mom says it is unfair to exclude her husband because he has helped our family a lot over the years. My dad says that because this man was involved in breaking up our family, I should not be okay with him being there or accepting help from him.
At this point I honestly do not care about any of that as much as I care about just graduating in peace and getting my diploma without drama. I’ve thought about either not letting anyone come or only giving a ticket to my dad and a couple to my mom so she can bring my younger brother, but not her husband.
I understand why my dad is hurt, but I also feel like he is making me carry his pain on a day that is supposed to be about me. My mom also is not backing down at all. I feel stuck in the middle and exhausted.
Would I be wrong for limiting who comes to my graduation just to avoid conflict, even if it hurts someone’s feelings?