AIBU to think this is really unfair?

[MidniteScribbler]

A lady I am friendly with (she does volunteer work at our school) was chatting with me yesterday and was really upset, and I thought I'd post here about it. She's widowed and has one son, who is now early thirties and married with two children. They live about thirty minutes from her, and she lives fifteen minutes from his wife's family. For the last ten years, every Christmas has been spent at his wife's family from lunchtime on Christmas Eve to Boxing Day at his wife's insistence. My friend is quite upset that she never gets to see her family on Christmas day, and as she has no other family, she spends every Christmas day alone. She has asked if they could come for breakfast or even have Christmas Eve dinner with her, but the wife insists that it is tradition for her family to spend the whole time together. My friend has never had any problems with the daughter-in-law, no arguments, so she is really upset that not once in ten years has any effort been made to include her for Christmas.

I think it's really quite cruel, surely they could come to her for one meal, or even invite her over to the in-laws for a meal (they all get along)?

[AskBasil]

Acknowledging that we don't know the full story and on the face of it it is so bizarre that there may be something else going on, is not the same as automatically assuming all MILs are evil.

[YouTheCat]

I really hope there's more to it otherwise her dil (and her sone for that matter) are utter twats.

I would hate to think even my ex mil (who I didn't really get on with at all well) might be alone at Christmas.