Thanks for the responses! My father abused alcohol during my childhood thru my 20's. He stopped drinking probably a good 10 years now due to health problems. My mother has probably battled depression most of her life, although never diagnosed. I have to be real careful with my drinking, I can throw a few back. My husband feels bad about the situation and can't understand why I just don't call and end it. His family is very close, they say "I love you" to each other constantly, and he gives me the "life is too short" speech often. He obviously knows the struggle I have faced over the years, because him and his family usually pay the price not seeing us over the holidays. One year, I thought it would be great to have a big family thanksgiving dinner, his family and my family, my parents REFUSED to come. They would rather go to a restaurant. Crazy right? I'm afraid confronting them on they behavior will explode into a bigger rift.