Owning a family heirloom is a big responsibility. You have to make sure it’s passed down safely from one generation to the next. For me, this was supposed to be a straightforward task. But when my new husband suggested a different approach, things took a turn for the worse.
I’m a 35-year-old woman, and I recently shared my dilemma on Reddit, hoping for advice. The issue centers around a family tradition: giving an emerald necklace to the oldest son or daughter on their 14th birthday.
This necklace, a treasured artifact, is scheduled to be given to my daughter, Emily, on her upcoming 14th birthday in January 2024.
Joey and I have been dating for four years and married for two. We each have daughters from previous relationships. Despite knowing about the tradition and my plan to give Emily the necklace, Joey made an outrageous suggestion during a discussion about Christmas gifts.
“Why don’t you give the emerald necklace to my daughter, Sophia?” Joey asked, explaining that it would show Sophia that I accept her as my daughter.
I was taken aback. “Emily knows about the tradition and is looking forward to getting the necklace,” I said, trying to explain. But Joey wouldn’t budge.
He accused me of favoritism, saying, “You’re being selfish. You could easily buy Emily another necklace on Amazon!”
I was adamant. “Emily will inherit the family heirloom, and that’s final.” Joey was clearly not impressed by my refusal and gave me the silent treatment, except when the kids were around.
The situation got worse when Joey told his mother and sister about it. They accused me of favoritism too, siding with Joey that Sophia should get the necklace.
Feeling the strain on my marriage, I turned to Reddit for feedback. To my relief, the internet community overwhelmingly supported me.
“You’re not favoring one kid over another,” one person commented. “Emily is your child, and she owns the necklace. Your stepdaughter isn’t entitled to it. If it was that important to him, his daughter could get an imitation from Amazon.”
Another user added, “You should store the necklace in a secure location, like a bank box. Once Emily gets it, it might ‘disappear’ or get ‘accidentally’ broken.”
Others echoed this sentiment, saying, “Lock it up so neither your stepdaughter nor your husband can get their hands on it. Explain to Emily why it’s best to keep it secure.”
How do you feel about this situation? Would you have done the same? Let me know in the comments below!
