Married couples are supposed to grow old together. Being someone’s soulmate is meant to be a life-long commitment. However, sometimes life throws us curveballs we could have never predicted.
It’s heartbreaking to imagine the loss of a spouse, especially when a couple is so young, however, that’s exactly what one woman is experiencing, all while feeling the pressure from her inlaws to return the ring her now-deceased husband gave her.
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Taking to Reddit’s famous AITA community, an anonymous woman shared her current predicament and asked the friendly people of the internet if she was in the wrong.
“Daniel and I were married for 1.5 years, together for 7,” the original poster (OP) wrote. “I received an engagement ring, wedding ring, and eternity band from him (a wedding anniversary gift for 1 yr married).”
After her husband’s unexpected death, OP wrote she was understandably heartbroken at the beginning of this year.
“It still doesn’t feel real, but I’m trying to live life the way he’d want me to every day,” she explained. “I haven’t had much contact with his family since the funeral 6 months ago. I suppose we were all hurting and need to heal.”
Recently, however, OP heard from her sister-in-law. “Yesterday, my ex-SIL messaged me on fb. I’m a bit of an oversharer on fb and they knew about my eternity ring as well as the other rings,” she wrote.
“My SIL wants me to return all the rings to them, as they say that Daniel paid for them and because he has died, they belong to the family.”
Her SIL claims OP’s MIL echoes with these sentiments.
“I’ve already given them back his childhood stuff he had,” she explained, “along with photos he had before I met him.”
However, she is unwilling to part with the 2 of her rings as they’re deeply sentimental and were gifted to her by her late husband.
“I’d be ok with giving them my plain wedding band, but the 2 others are beautiful, expensive (combined 19K), and remind me of the best time of my life,” she explained.
“I’d give them my husband’s wedding ring, but he was buried wearing it.”
“I’m getting squeezed by his family to give them these rings,” the grieving widow explained. “I don’t know if they just want them to sell or own, or what.”
She goes on to claim her in-laws have been calling her names for “keeping them out of the family where they belong.”
“Daniel and I didn’t have kids,” she wrote, “so I suppose I’m [no] longer family.”
Thankfully, the Reddit community had OP’s back and ensured her she was not in the wrong for not wanting to hand over these important pieces of jewellery.
“Asking for a widow’s wedding rings six months after losing her husband is deeply messed up,” one person replied.
“I’d cut ALL ties with these people. Let your AH SIL get a lawyer, it will be a waste of her money because those rings are YOURS, they were gifts,” they continued.
“These people are disgusting. They aren’t family heirlooms, they’re just nice things they want to be able to pawn. Block all of them.”
“Umm, what? Yeah, he paid for them … as gifts for you,” wrote another person. “And as you were his spouse, his assets go to you anyway unless he had a will that states otherwise.”
“Where TF are these people getting the idea they have any claim over anything of his, much less something as sentimental as wedding and engagement rings?” they added.
“You are his family. You are his next of kin. He bought the rings for you. He gave the rings to you,” echoed a different user.
“Absolutely do not give these people anything that Daniel gave to you unless you feel they should have the thing, like the pictures that were taken before you met. Repeat this is as needed until you believe it: I am my husband’s family.”
I’m glad this user was able to find validation in her choice from the Reddit community.
Truly, it’s such a horrible situation and I can’t imagine how much pain she must be experiencing!
What do you make of the situation? Let us know in the comments below!
h/t: CafeMom
