I’d think that I’d be pretty eager to honor a friend or family member’s wishes after they passed away…even if it meant there would be some conflict with their family.
And that’s exactly the situation a guy who shared his story on Reddit’s “Am I The A**hole?” page finds himself in after honoring his late wife’s wishes.
Let’s take a look to see what transpired.
AITA for refusing to return my late wife’s ring to the family”
“I (F30) married my wife (F36) a year ago.
We had been together 6 years, married for 1 before she passed away. It has been a really rocky time for me and I am still struggling but getting there, day by day.
My wife had been close with her grandmother when she was growing up and when she passed away her grandmother left a beautiful ring which had been in the family for generations. My wife used this ring to propose to me and it also became my wedding ring.
I have worn it everyday since she gave it to me, and it is truly my most precious item from her. It feels like she is with me always and when I look at it, it brings my heart some happiness to remember our time together. My wife even spent money on the ring to get it restored as it had a few cosmetic faults, but by doing this it more or less doubled the value too.
It is very unique and shaped like a snake with a diamond in its head and rubies for the eyes, the diamond was cracked and the blue enamel needed repairing which she did before proposing.
My BIL has now decided to propose to his girlfriend and he wants to use the snake ring as their grandmother wanted the ring to be used as an engagement ring for when one of her grandchildren wanted to marry, a first come first serve situation, although, it was never really expected her granddaughter would be doing the proposing it was always assumed the boys would offer it to their gfs but my wife got there and did it first and that was that.
It was never really questioned either as my wife and she had been so close too. Nobody had any objections at the time as the ring was still within the family and neither of my BILs were anywhere near getting engaged.
I refused to give the ring back and now I have caused a huge rift with my family in law. My MIL and BILs are all calling me an AH as they want the ring to continue being part of their family and to be passed down in the generations as it was expected to.
I am distraught, my wife and I were not big sentimental gift givers and this is honestly the only thing she was truly proud to gift me, it was a huge deal for us and meant the world to both of us.
My family in law have also thrown in my face that the grandmother wouldn’t even have wanted me to have it since she was Russian and would very much be against a same s** couple.
This really hurts and feels like a low blow as although it’s definitely true I was accepted my my family in law. The grandmother had long been gone before I met my wife. They are now saying that it should go to the boys as she intended.
It’s all got really nasty and I just don’t know what to do. The family have even offered to buy the ring off me for the full value of the ring with the repairs but I refuse. It is the only thing I have of my wife and parting with it feels like the only piece I have left of my broken heart being taken away.
AITA?”
Wow…what a story.
Now let’s take a look at how folks on Reddit reacted.
This person said that widows aren’t expected to return their rings. Plain and simple.
Photo Credit: Reddit
Another reader argued that the family is acting horribly in this situation and that the woman who wrote the post is, at the end of the day, the rightful owner of the ring whether they like it or not.
Photo Credit: Reddit
Another Reddit user said that the woman’s late wife would undoubtedly be ashamed of her family for acting this way.
Photo Credit: Reddit
And lastly, this reader said that the woman’s family is actually dishonoring their late daughter with their behavior.
I think I agree…
Photo Credit: Reddit
Do you think this guy did the right thing?
Or is he acting hard-headed?
Talk to us in the comments and share your thoughts. Thanks!
