Jen and her husband are in their 70s with five grandkids—three granddaughters and two grandsons. They’ve always been there for their family, ready to lend a hand whenever needed.
Recently, their youngest granddaughter, Eloise, tied the knot. As part of a family tradition, after a grandchild’s wedding, the grandparents buy the least expensive item on the registry and gift them a hefty $40,000.
They’ve kept this tradition a secret, just between them and the grandkids—until now.
Eloise, after receiving her gift, was not impressed. “Seriously, Grandma? An air fryer? That’s the cheapest thing you could find on my registry?” she said, clearly upset.
Jen, trying to explain, pointed out that an air fryer was practical. But Eloise wasn’t having it. “Practical? You can do better. Everyone knows you’ve got the money. This is embarrassing. You don’t even care.”
Jen, fed up, snapped back, “You’re right. We’re cheap, old, and useless. What you didn’t know is that we were going to give you a $40,000 check the day before the wedding.”
As the tension grew, Eloise shot back, “It’s obvious. You just don’t love me enough to show it. I was under so much pressure with the wedding, and this? It’s like you don’t care at all.” And with that, she hung up.
Jen and her husband, hurt by the accusation, decided not to give Eloise the money after all. A week later, Eloise called again, angry after learning they’d given $40,000 to every other grandchild. “I just found out you gave the money to everyone else,” she said, demanding an explanation.
What would you do if you were in their shoes?
