I must decline for secret reasons.

I am getting ready to call my mother-in-law and tell her that we’re not coming for the annual 4^th of July celebration.

I don’t really want to tell her why.
It will just worry her for no good reason.
And there’s truly nothing to worry about.

But when setting boundaries, I don’t owe other people a reason.
I can just decline.

Or I can even have fun with it.

It delights me to think of telling her, “I must decline for secret reasons.”

For just a moment it makes me feel like a secret operative.

So I may try that and see what she says.
I’ll keep you posted.