DEAR MISS MANNERS: My retired mom lives across the country and occasionally stays with my family for extended visits, often over a month.
When my family is invited to an event while she is here, I hate to exclude her, but struggle to come up with a polite way to mention to our potential hosts that our party may be one more than they expected.
Do you have different advice depending on whether it is a casual gathering or a more formal event?
GENTLE READER: Here is the script for any invitation:
You: We’d love to, but my mother is staying with us, and I hate to leave her alone.
Host, option 1: Please bring her. We’d love to meet her.
Host, option 2: Sorry, another time, then.
(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, [email protected]; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
