I am 56, and married to the same woman for 31 years. My in-laws are very overbearing, and have always been that way. By father-in-law raised his two kids to believe that he always knew best. Among the things he has done are: 1) he always critiqued my sample ballot at voting time, never hesitating to tell me how stupid I am to vote that way (oddly, we are of the same political party); 2) dropped the listed price of my house when we were selling it, and not tell us about it; 3) got upset when I took my car to be repaired at a repair shop he didn't know, although I knew them for years, and they were very good. With our current financial crisis, he is again trying to pull the strings. My wife has learned only in the last five years or so that he is not always right. This often created a major problem for the two of us.

Stand up for your right to make your own choices. You will have your own successes and failures, but they will be yours. You will grow as a person, and your self-respect will improve.

Gary