A couple should always have a private discussion about whether or not to have children. When additional family members become involved, things may get messy. Take this example. A mother cannot handle the notion of having no grandchildren, so she refuses to leave her daughter any inheritance.

I informed her she wasn’t getting my inheritance.

The mother says, “My daughter married last year, and I’ve been quietly hoping for a grandchild ever since.” One day, she informed me, ‘Mom, I’m infertile. I was stunned. ‘You will not receive my inheritance,’ I war:ned her.

They recently adopted a girl. My daughter inquired if that counted, and I answered, ‘No, she’s not biologically yours. To my horror, a week later, they arrived at my home with adoption papers and a lawyer.

Things became very complex.

She goes on, “My daughter’s eyes were red from sobbing, but her voice was firm as she stated, ‘You made it clear that blood is all that counts to you. So we made a decision.’ Then her husband stepped up, clutching their adoptive daughter close, and handed me a document.

It was a petition to formally terminate my rights as a grandmother. My daughter said, ‘If she isn’t your family, neither are we.’ She slammed the door closed. I could not believe it. I lost my daughter. “I’m not sure what to do.”