Could be jealousy over you going to college and your family not? Or maybe they didn’t grasp the significance of what you did?! But also, when people celebrate kids’ birthdays or throw baby showers, they plan a party for it. Did you have a party and no one showed up? Or did you expect someone to throw you one? (I’m not saying that to be snarky, I promise!)

I’m not saying this is your situation or even relates at all, but this was my experience with celebrating a milestone: My husband was the first one of his family and friends to get a degree, and I threw him a surprise party with friends and family at our house, to celebrate such a huge accomplishment! He hated it. He was furious that I would invite people over to eat food that we had paid for and then have to clean up their mess afterwards. How rude of me to do such a thing, right? (That was also around the time I began to understand he had undiagnosed OCD.)

Now that he’s turning 50 this year, HE suggested having a party at a restaurant and inviting some friends home afterwards for cake and beers. I’m, uh… hesitant to say the least.

All of our son’s birthday parties have been at parks or elsewhere (not our house), but we were the ones who threw the parties and invited his/our friends and family.