Not every decision comes down to a clear right or wrong.

One employee found himself stuck in exactly that kind of gray area after receiving an unexpected, deeply personal invitation from a colleague.

This employee’s relationship with his colleague has always stayed pleasant but surface-level, a few minutes of chitchat during regular deliveries, nothing that ever touched on anything particularly serious.

So when he was invited to attend her husband’s Celebration of Life party, a man he’d never actually met, he found himself torn between two instincts: showing up out of respect for someone clearly going through an incredibly difficult time, or staying away out of concern that his presence might feel out of place.

Keep reading to find out what Reddit had to say.

AITAH for not attending a “Celebration of Life” party for my colleague’s husband who’s on hospice

I’m a supplier for local stores in my area, which means routinely having the same deliveries to the same retailers over and over.

I often form cordial relationships with the store employees and owners, stop for a little chit chat, “How’s your kid doing in soccer?” stuff like that.

Soon his colleague’s husband took a turn for the worst.

Well, I’ve known that one of my retailers has a husband battling cancer, and she announced on the store social media that he recently was put on hospice and didn’t have much time left.

I thought that was a little weird to post on the business socials, but perhaps because he is technically the other owner they thought it was pertinent to share. We’ve never actually talked about it in person, so that was the only way I found out.

He then got an invitation in the mail he didn’t quite know what to do with.

Well, recently I received an email from her inviting me to her husband’s “Celebration of Life” party he wanted to have while he was still alive.

I’ve never met him, nor thought that I had the kind of relationship with them where I would be involved in such a big life event.

He didn’t think their level of closeness justified such an intimate invitation.

Our interactions have been cordial and brief, with chitchat lasting maybe a handful of minutes and nothing too deep.

Would I be the AH if I don’t attend this event?

This is definitely an uncomfortable situation.

What did Reddit have to say?

It may be a little uncomfortable, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing.

This user thinks this man may be overthinking all of this.

Maybe she owes her coworker this courtesy.

The world needs a bit more kindness, and acts like these are what help bring that vision to reality.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an ex-Army vet who quit his security guard job after he doesn’t get a promised raise.

He wouldn’t have to stay long to make it a kind gesture.

Even though this supplier’s relationship with the retailer has stayed fairly professional, there’s real value in showing up for someone during one of the hardest moments of their life, even if it feels a little uncomfortable or unfamiliar.

Grief has a way of making people acutely aware of who chooses to show up and who doesn’t, and a brief, respectful appearance at the event could mean far more to her than this employee will ever know.

A little discomfort is a small price to pay for showing someone they’re not alone during a difficult time.