Dear June,
This winter, we were invited to two family weddings. The invitations stated that “vaccinated only” are welcome to attend. The weddings were for a niece and a nephew on my husband’s side of the family, so they’re close family members, not distant cousins or long-lost relatives.
We asked if a negative COVID-19 test would be acceptable and that we would be willing to test in order to attend the weddings and wedding showers. We were told no and that only vaccinated guests may attend. The same thing happened to our Christmas plans in 2021. Emails went out stating that only fully vaccinated people could attend.
I’m really hurt about the situations that have occurred with close family members, and I’m not sure if I want to be a part of their lives at this point. I’ve read books about forgiveness and I still am angry. Can you tell me how I should proceed?
My husband spoke with his family about this, and he has stated that we aren’t vaccinated at this time because we have had COVID-19 and that we have natural immunity. We have antibody tests that back up this claim, and the tests were taken within 90 days of the weddings.
Any suggestions? Advice? Thoughts? I’d love to hear them.
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Dear Disheartened Aunt,
I understand your frustration. It doesn’t make sense to ignore the protection of natural immunity, and the addition of a negative COVID-19 test would probably make you the safest people at the wedding. But unfortunately, common sense and honest science don’t seem to be guiding people through this pandemic. Something else is.
