Dear Abby: My friend’s estranged father-in-law died, now I’m in trouble for not sending condolences

Dear Abby addresses a conflict regarding etiquette when a person loses a family member they hated. A woman spent thirty years hating her biological father, yet expected condolences upon his death. Another individual feels unfairly blamed for not mourning this estranged father-in-law, noting the woman was closer to her late stepfather. The columns explore whether social norms require expressions of sympathy for estranged parents and how to handle these complex emotional dynamics during bereavement.