#Granddaughter – echowoven.com https://echowoven.com Wed, 07 Aug 2024 07:03:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 https://echowoven.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/favicon_alternatech-60x60.png #Granddaughter – echowoven.com https://echowoven.com 32 32 Our Granddaughter Sent Us a Note with Disgusting Text Demanding $5000 — So We Decided to Teach Her a Lesson https://echowoven.com/our-granddaughter-sent-us-a-note-with-disgusting-text-demanding-5000-so-we-decided-to-teach-her-a-lesson/ https://echowoven.com/our-granddaughter-sent-us-a-note-with-disgusting-text-demanding-5000-so-we-decided-to-teach-her-a-lesson/#respond Wed, 07 Aug 2024 05:38:17 +0000 https://echowoven.com/?p=75856 My granddaughter, Sarah, is getting married soon, and we were over the moon for her. My husband, Jim, and I couldn’t have been happier when she told us the news. We started talking about the wedding right away, thinking about how we could help make it special. But then, everything changed a few days ago.
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For illustrative purposes only (Pexels)

We got a letter from Sarah that left us both speechless. I still remember the moment I opened it. Inside was a quotation for $5,000 and a note that felt like a slap in the face.

I want a vacation with my fiancé on my birthday this year,” the note read. “Pay for it. I hope you saved up enough after years of cheap trash gifts for me.”

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For illustrative purposes only (Pexels)

Let me give you some background. Jim and I have always tried to be there for Sarah. We’re not rich, but we’ve given what we could. Over the years, we’ve made her handmade quilts, given her heirloom jewelry, and even helped with a down payment for her car. We also covered some of her college expenses.

We always thought these things meant something to her.

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Back to the present. Jim and I sat down at the kitchen table, the letter and quotation lying between us like a bad omen. My hands trembled with anger and hurt.

“Can you believe this?” I asked, holding the letter out to him. Tears pricked at my eyes. “After everything we’ve done for her?”

Jim’s face was a mask of disappointment. “This is just plain wrong,” he said, his voice heavy with sadness. “We’ve given her so much, and this is how she repays us?”

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I could feel my heart breaking, but underneath the hurt, a spark of resolve was growing. “We can’t let this go,” I said firmly. “She needs to understand that her actions have consequences.”

Jim nodded slowly. “You’re right. She needs to learn gratitude and respect. But how do we make her see that?”

We decided to gather everything we had ever given Sarah. The decision weighed heavily on our hearts, but we knew it was necessary. We began in the attic, where we stored many precious items over the years.

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“Start with the quilts,” Jim suggested quietly, opening a large cedar chest. The quilts I had spent months making for Sarah were folded neatly inside. I ran my fingers over the intricate patterns, remembering the countless hours I had put into each stitch.

“These quilts were made with love,” I said softly, tears threatening to fall. “I thought she cherished them.”

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Jim placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “She might realize their value someday,” he said. Together, we carefully folded the quilts and placed them in a large box.

Next, we moved to the guest room where Sarah often stayed. I opened the jewelry box on the dresser, revealing the heirloom pieces I had given her. Each piece had a story, a memory attached to it. I picked up a delicate gold necklace that had belonged to my mother.

“Do you remember when I gave her this?” I asked Jim, holding up the necklace. “She wore it to her high school graduation.”

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Jim nodded, his expression somber. “I remember. It’s a shame she left it behind.”

We carefully packed the jewelry, wrapping each piece in tissue paper to protect it. The box filled quickly with the items she had left behind over the years: the bracelet from her Sweet Sixteen, the locket she wore to prom, and the earrings she had borrowed for her first job interview.

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In the garage, we found the old bike we had bought her for her tenth birthday. It was a little rusty but still in good shape. “She loved this bike,” Jim said, his voice tinged with nostalgia. “She rode it every day after school.”

I smiled sadly, remembering the joy on her face when she first saw it. We wheeled the bike out and placed it next to the boxes.

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Finally, we gathered the photographs and mementos from family trips and holidays. There were so many memories captured in those pictures: Sarah blowing out birthday candles, opening presents on Christmas morning, and laughing during summer barbecues. Each photo was a reminder of happier times.

Jim’s eyes met mine, understanding dawning in his expression. “And the quotation?”

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Jim nodded and reached for the phone. As he made the call to the bank, I started gathering all the gifts we had given Sarah over the years. It was painful, but necessary. I carefully packed the handmade quilts, the heirloom jewelry, and other cherished items into boxes. Each item reminded me of happier times, but I pushed those thoughts aside.

We also decided to withdraw our financial support for Sarah’s wedding. I contacted the wedding planner and explained our decision. She was shocked, but understood when I told her about the situation.

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“We’ve always prided ourselves on being generous,” I told Jim. “But we refuse to be taken for granted.”

Next, we wrote a final letter to Sarah.

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Dear Sarah,

Your recent letter hurt us deeply. We have always given you our love and support, not out of obligation, but out of love. Your words and actions show a lack of gratitude and respect that we cannot ignore. We hope this difficult experience will help you reflect on your behavior and learn the importance of appreciation and humility. Love isn’t about material gifts; it’s about valuing the people who care for you. We hope you understand our decision and take this opportunity to grow.

Love always,

Grandma and Grandpa

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We wanted her to understand that this wasn’t just about money or gifts. It was about respect, gratitude, and the love we had always shown her. We hoped our words would make her think about her actions and their impact on others. Then, with heavy hearts, we drove to an orphanage and donated all the gifts that seemed like useless garbage to Sarah.

The fallout was swift. Sarah called us the next day, her voice shaking with anger. “How could you do this to me?” she shouted. “You’re supposed to love and support me! You’re ruining my wedding and my life!”

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “Sarah, we do love you. But love is not about giving in to every demand. It’s about helping you become a better person. You need to learn gratitude and respect.”

“You’re cruel!” she screamed. “I can’t believe you would do this!”

She hung up on us, leaving us in stunned silence. We knew our actions would hurt, but it was still painful to hear her so angry. Over the next few days, we heard through the family grapevine that Sarah was telling everyone how “cruel” we were and how we had “abandoned” her.

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Some relatives sided with Sarah, believing we were too harsh. Others, however, reached out to express their support. “You did the right thing,” one cousin said. “She needed to learn a lesson.”

Reflecting on everything, Jim and I still stand by our decision. It’s been a tough situation, but we believe in the importance of teaching tough lessons for personal growth. We hope that in time, Sarah will reevaluate her attitude and values. Love is not about giving in to every whim; it’s about guiding loved ones to become better people.

Source: amomama

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Our Granddaughter Accused Us of Being Cheap after Getting Our Wedding Present https://echowoven.com/our-granddaughter-accused-us-of-being-cheap-after-getting-our-wedding-present/ https://echowoven.com/our-granddaughter-accused-us-of-being-cheap-after-getting-our-wedding-present/#respond Mon, 15 Apr 2024 12:47:08 +0000 https://echowoven.com/?p=72315
An elderly couple | Source: Getty Images

An elderly couple | Source: Getty Images

I’m in my 70s, a proud grandmother to five amazing grandkids: three women and two men. I adore my grandkids and often show up for them emotionally and financially. Whenever they have celebrations or hard times, they know that they can count on me.

Grandparents with their grown grandkids | Source; Getty Images

Grandparents with their grown grandkids | Source; Getty Images

The youngest of grandkids, Eloise, got married last October. My husband, who is also in his 70s, and I have a tradition for our grandkids. We buy a small gift from the wedding registry, usually the cheapest item, and then, the day before the wedding, we give them a check for $40,000.

We hope they’ll use it for a house, but it’s ultimately their choice. We also ask them to keep it a secret, considering our large family. Until now, everyone has respected this request.

Happy young woman opening a gift | Source: Getty Images

Happy young woman opening a gift | Source: Getty Images

This time, we sent an air fryer to our youngest granddaughter, the cheapest thing on her registry. Eloise called us, livid, accusing us of being cheap. I remember picking up her call and she didn’t even say hi, she just started ranting, “Seriously, Grandma? I just got your gift. An air fryer? That’s the cheapest thing you could find on my registry!”

Woman rejecting a gift | Source: Getty Images

Woman rejecting a gift | Source: Getty Images

I was taken aback because as much as the air fryer was the cheapest on their registry, I still thought it’d be useful to them, so I told her that. Eloise kept on complaining, “Useful? Come on, you know you can do better than that. Everyone knows you have the money. I just can’t believe you’d be this cheap with me. It’s embarrassing.”

An air fryer | Source: Getty Images

An air fryer | Source: Getty Images

In this heated moment, I told her, “Yes, you’re right. We are cheap, old, and useless. The only thing you DIDN’T know is that the day before the wedding, we were going to gift you a check for $40,000.”

Woman disappointed by a gift | Source: Getty Images

Woman disappointed by a gift | Source: Getty Images

I revealed this in an attempt to explain to Eloise about the cash gift we usually give our grandkids before the wedding but she was so angry at this point, that she wasn’t listening to a thing I said. I speculated that maybe she didn’t believe we would gift her such an amount of money after only buying her an air fryer.

Eventually, she said, “No, it’s clear. You just don’t love me enough to show it. You know how much pressure I’m under with the wedding. And then, this? It’s like you don’t even care,” then she hung up.

Disappointed elderly couple | Source: Getty Images

Disappointed elderly couple | Source: Getty Images

Despite my husband and I’s shock at Eloise’s reaction, we then bought her a China set, hoping to appease her, but decided against giving her the $40,000, feeling she hadn’t earned it.

Fast forward to last week. Eloise talked to her brother and found out that we were telling her the truth about the money. After confirming it with her cousins, she, called again, accusing us of discrimination, “I just found out that it’s true you gave the money to everyone else when they got married. Why didn’t I get anything?”

A cash gift | source: Getty Images

A cash gift | source: Getty Images

We stood firm, explaining our stance was due to her initial reaction, “We felt after your reaction to the wedding gift, it wasn’t right to go ahead and gift you the money.” Eloise pleaded trying to convince us otherwise, “So, you’re punishing me? Is that it? Because I was upset about an air fryer?”

Woman throwing tantrums | Source: Getty Images

Woman throwing tantrums | Source: Getty Images

I was angry that she didn’t even understand what she did wrong. “It wasn’t about the air fryer, Eloise. It was how you spoke to us, the disrespect. That’s not something we expected or can support,” I explained.

Bewildered elderly woman on phone | Source: Getty Images

Bewildered elderly woman on phone | Source: Getty Images

Eloise implored us, nearly in tears, “But that’s so unfair! I was stressed, Grandma. Planning a wedding is hard, and I just snapped. I didn’t mean any of it.” I felt like she should have only apologized to us instead of finding excuses to justify her behavior.

However, I told her, “We understand that it’s a stressful time, but actions and words have consequences. We hoped you’d understand the value of family and love over material things.” Full of desperation, Eloise added, “But you don’t understand! Can’t we just forget all this happened? I need that money, Grandma.”

Young woman holding back tears on phone | Source: Getty Images

Young woman holding back tears on phone | Source: Getty Images

She pleaded, threatened to boycott Christmas, and accused us of cutting her off but we didn’t budge. In the end, I expressed, “We love you very much. This has nothing to do with cutting you off. We just hope you’ll reflect on this and understand why we made our decision.”

Woman showing threatening finger | Source: Getty Images

Woman showing threatening finger | Source: Getty Images

Now, Eloise has followed up on her threat and she’s boycotting Christmas. Her mother, who is our daughter-in-law, is siding with her, calling us unreasonable. However, we feel that after all we have done for Eloise, the air fryer gift, shouldn’t have triggered this reaction.

Bewildered elderly couple | Source: Getty Images

Bewildered elderly couple | Source: Getty Images

For context, we had already paid for her college, and her parents covered her graduate school and half the wedding. Additionally, she and her husband are financially comfortable and do not desperately need our money.

We’re also not upset with our grandkids for revealing the cash gift since she is among the group of family members who are allowed to know about it. Our reason for sending the air fryer earlier was that we live far away, so we always send our gifts early.

Elderly couple enjoying family time | Source: Getty Images

Elderly couple enjoying family time | Source: Getty Images

The wedding gift is also separate from the money, which we give with the hope it will be used for something significant, like a home. Now, we feel like the action we took towards Eloise was well deserved and we are not going back on our decisions even if she and her mom threaten to do their worst.

Despite the tumultuous events and Eloise’s refusal to understand our perspective, my husband and I stand by our decision. Love and respect in our family are paramount, and we hoped this situation would be a learning experience for her.

Elderly couple with family on Christmas | Source: Getty Images

Elderly couple with family on Christmas | Source: Getty Images

The holidays might be quieter this year with her family’s absence, but our hope is for healing and understanding in the future. Our door and hearts remain open to Eloise, whenever she’s ready to mend fences.

Want more like this? Click here to read about a grandmother who sparked controversy online because she doesn’t bring her grandchildren gifts when she visits.

Grandma Doesn’t Bring Her Grandchildren Gifts When She Visits Them

A grandmother who uses TikTok to give tips about being a grandparent posted a controversial video that sparked an online debate between grandparents and parents. She started one of her videos by saying she doesn’t give gifts to her grandchildren whenever she visits them.

DeeDee from MoreThanGrand has made it her goal to help new grandparents transition into their new role. She provides content to help grandparents better support and communicate with parents in raising their beloved grandchildren. However, one particular content she put out didn’t sit well with many people. They felt she was taking things too far and a little too seriously.

Why Doesn’t She Bring Gifts for Her Grandchildren?

She lived in a different area from where her grandchildren lived, and the woman only saw them a couple of times yearly. She decided early on in being a grandmother that she wouldn’t bring something with her each time she visited.

One reason why she wanted to avoid bringing unnecessary gifts was because her grandchildren already had so many things to begin with. She tried to support the parents who didn’t want any more clutter entering their home.

Another reason was that she was stingy when it came to money. “I’m cheap and I don’t want to waste money on stuff that’s just going to be cast aside,” she admitted.

However, the main reason why she refused to bring gifts for her grandchildren was because she didn’t want them to look forward to her visits because of what she had with her. She wanted them to be excited to see her.

She didn’t want her grandchildren to rush to the door only to ask her what was inside her suitcase for them. Instead, she wanted them to greet her with loving smiles and warm embraces.

The Woman Made It Clear That She Wasn’t Always Empty-Handed

The woman clarified that she didn’t always visit her grandchildren without anything in hand. On some occasions, she’d bring a book she’d been reading to them over video chat and read it together while snuggled up in bed.

While others commended her for her simplicity, others felt she was taking things too far.

Sometimes, she’d take along a board game they could play together. After her visit, she’d take the board game back home with her so they had something to play when it was her grandchildren’s turn to visit her.

Once, she even reminisced about her childhood by bringing the cookies her grandmother once got her as a child. However, these occasions were rare.

She’d instead bring her undivided attention and her open hugs. For the woman, it’s been the most fulfilling thing. Whenever she’s greeted at the door, her grandchildren run to embrace her and tell her how much they miss her. She shared her take on loving grandchildren without needing gifts, which sparked an online debate.

While others commended her for her simplicity, others felt she was taking things too far. Some users noted that gift-giving is an actual love language that children greatly appreciate.

“I had a grandma like you describe to be… I thought of her as miserly,” one commenter wrote. They thought it was okay for children to receive at least small tokens of appreciation, especially if they hadn’t seen their grandmother in a long time. After all, it’s the thought that counts.

Last but not least, people felt the situation wasn’t an either-or scenario where they had to choose one over the other. Users reminded her that it was okay to be both present in her grandchildren’s lives while occasionally showering them with simple gifts.

What do you think about the woman’s take on giving gifts to children? Is it something you agree with? Share your thoughts in the comments below and let us know what you would do in her situation.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.

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