DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Our son is getting married early next spring. He and his fiancée are hopeful that they will be able to have the 150 guests their venue can accommodate.

Being worrying types, both I and the mother of the bride have spoken to the couple to encourage them to have two guest lists in mind, just in case there are still capacity restrictions a year from now.

Both mothers are trying to impress upon our children that there are people who fall into the must-have, or at least must- invite category. We strongly believe that aunts and uncles belong on that list, but that isn’t how the bride and groom see it. They see it as their day, and if only 75 people can be there, they want it to be their friends and close coworkers, rather than closer blood relations.

The cost of the wedding is being split equally three ways between both families and the couple, so we parents feel we have the right to have a say in the guest list. We understand it’s their day, but it’s also a celebration we want to share with those we love too. Who’s right here? --- WANT A FAIR SHARE

DEAR WANT A FAIR SHARE: If the costs are being divvied up evenly, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to also divvy up the allotted spots on the guest list(s). I get the couple wanting to invite coworkers they see every day, versus aunts and uncles who they may have less direct contact with throughout a normal year. But there can be separate celebrations held pre- or post-wedding with coworkers and less close friends, who hopefully understand that as much as the bride and groom would like them to be at their wedding, it isn’t always possible to accommodate everyone, especially if come the big day, space is more than usually limited.

It may not be palatable to everyone, but this is a case where you may need not only an A and B list, but also a C level one.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Both my husband and I grew up in the suburbs. We met in the city where we currently live, where he works, and where I also was working before we had our son. I was able to convert to parttime work-from-home, but my husband is still working in the center of the city, only a 20-minute bike ride away.

Now that our son is nearing preschool age, and our second baby is due toward the end of this year, I think it’s time to move out of our cramped two-bedroom townhouse into a larger home with a front and backyard and the potential for the lifestyle my husband and I both knew as kids.

Every time I bring up my wish to move, my husband counters with not wanting to have to commute, which I completely understand. He’s an awesome dad and loves spending time with us at the end of the day. But the facts of the matter are our home is no longer big enough, and we absolutely cannot afford a larger home near city center. The only neighborhoods with yards within the city limits, and only a tiny commute for my husband, are all even more out of our price range.

Is my husband being unreasonable, or am I? --- WANT OUT OF CITY LIVING

DEAR WANT OUT OF CITY LIVING: I see a lot of merit in both your and your husband’s standpoints.

If your real estate explorations so far have all been made on your own, it might be time to connect with a licensed real estate professional. It’s possible there are options you’re unaware of that could offer a compromise you both could live with.

As with any compromise though, it’s likely neither of you will be perfectly satisfied. However, a growing family has already forced, and will only continue to force you both to evaluate and reevaluate priorities. I think it’s best to be open and honest with each other when you discuss options and wishes. Always consider first and foremost what’s best for the family in general, even if it isn’t the ideal solution for everyone involved.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I am not asking for advice, just a way to vent a little.

For the second Easter in a row, I will not get to see my new grandbaby, and it ain’t easy. I raised my daughter as a single father, and now I have a grandson who was born in early March of last year, just as the world shut down. My daughter and son-in-law are terrific about video conferencing and sending loads of photos and videos, but it is far from the same thing as holding my first grandchild, which I have yet to be able to do.

I don’t know anyone who has had much of a good time since the pandemic started, and I, for one, cannot wait to have it over so holidays and life in general can once again be celebrated in person, and I can finally meet AND hold my grandson, hopefully before he graduates high school! I hate missing out on so much in these early days of his life. --- MISSING SO MUCH

DEAR MISSING SO MUCH: I fully understand your need to vent a little, and have been known to do so myself more than once to anyone who’ll listen. Also, like you, I look forward to a return to a more normal world and a chance to get caught up with loved ones and friends — in the flesh!

Until those better days come, be safe, and stay as “close” as you can to those you love.