Family bonds don’t always follow traditional lines, but they can run just as deep.

What would you do if your child had always seen someone as their grandparent, but the rest of the family chose not to acknowledge that bond publicly? Would you stay silent to avoid overstepping? Or would you speak up, even if it meant possibly upsetting someone?

In today’s story, one mother finds herself facing this very decision and decides to defend her son. Here’s how it all went down.

AITA for asking for my son to be acknowledged in his grandfather’s obituary

I was raised by my aunt and uncle from birth till 1st grade, so 7ish years, and I didn’t have a mom growing up, so I call my aunt mom. I don’t call my uncle dad because I had a dad growing up.

I had my son 11 years ago and was the first of my cousins to have a child. My son calls my Aunt Gigi and considers her a grandmother. Before my son turned one at Christmas, I made a book for my uncle with all the pictures of him and my son.

At the end, I asked if he would be his papa. My uncle cried and, of course, said yes.

Upon reading the obituary, he realized his son’s name was missing.

My dad died when I was 18, and I don’t have a relationship with my biological mother.

So on my side, my son knows my aunt and uncle as his grandparents. I have two cousins who are my aunt and uncle’s children, and my older cousin has a four-year-old and a 6-month-old.

My uncle recently passed away, and of course, we were all there to be by his side.

My cousin, who’s like a sister to me, sent me the obituary today, and it mentioned his two children and said he was also survived by his grandchildren, but only named my cousin’s two children.

Now, he’s wondering if he crossed the line.

I texted her back and just asked if maybe we could put in there something on the line of also survived by my son’s name who was like a grandson to him or something like that because my son is 11 and 1/2 and that was his grandfather to him, and I thought my uncle treated him like a grandson.

My cousin hasn’t responded, and I don’t know if I’m out of line for asking, but I don’t want my son’s feelings to get hurt if and when he reads the obituary and he’s not acknowledged.

It’s bad enough that the other kids already get way more spoiled than him, and he notices since he’s older and has made comments about it to me in the past. I mean, for six and a half years, he was the only grandchild, and he was always treated that way, and I just feel like it’s unfair not to acknowledge him at all in the obituary.

AITA?

Yikes! It’s easy to see why she’s upset about this, but it is a tough time for everyone.

Let’s see what Reddit readers have to say about it.

This person thinks she’s in the wrong.

Here’s someone who asks her to drop it.

For this reader, she’s fine if she offers to pay for the change.

This person sees nothing wrong with asking.

It was just a question! The cousin is free to refuse, so no harm done.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.