Annie shares some thoughts with a retiree on how to smooth things over with his brother, including inviting him and his wife to their new vacation home. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) AP

My wife and I have been very blessed. We both were able to find and keep jobs in our chosen fields and worked through the years without any

My wife received a lot of guilt from them when we recently took a trip to Europe for our anniversary. Then we began to get comments like, “We wish we could do that,” or, “It must be nice.” And we have heard from a mutual friend that my brother frequently makes remarks about our lifestyle.

On the other hand, my brother and his wife switched jobs often and lived a life of “keeping up with the Jones.” They always complained about not having enough money but then would go out and borrow money for a new car or to take a vacation.