A young lady found herself in an unexpected predicament at her boyfriend’s family Thanksgiving celebration. Confused about the chaos that ensued and her boyfriend’s subsequent anger, she sought clarity from an online community.
At the age of 30, she had started dating a man who, until recently, was in a long-term relationship with his high school sweetheart. While he had moved on, his family apparently had not.
His mother, in particular, was saddened by the breakup since she considered the ex-girlfriend almost like family, having known her for many years.
The breakup, by all accounts, was amicable, with both parties simply growing apart. However, this did not stop the boyfriend’s mother from expressing her discontent towards the new woman in her son’s life.
When She Met His Family The woman was fully aware that it might take some time for her boyfriend’s family to adjust to the new relationship. She figured that with time and patience, his mother would come around.
Unfortunately, things did not pan out that way. During the first year of their relationship, his mother habitually referred to her by his ex-girlfriend’s name, which unsettled the new girlfriend quite a bit. She recounts how her boyfriend finally intervened:
“…until [my boyfriend] got angry once and told her to be nice. She laughed it off and said it was just a habit.”
Even after that incident, the mother continued to get her name wrong, albeit using another incorrect name—Jenny instead of Janet and other variations.
Initially, the woman corrected her every time. However, she eventually deduced that these mistakes were deliberate, a way to upset her, and thus stopped correcting her future mother-in-law.
With the holidays approaching, she found herself in yet another uncomfortable situation.
The Thanksgiving Dilemma A few weeks prior to Thanksgiving, she attended a family barbecue at her boyfriend’s sister’s place. While in the kitchen with his mother, a sister, and their spouses, the sister complimented her culinary skills based on her brother’s praises. The mother, with a sarcastic undertone, suggested she handle the Thanksgiving turkey, mistakenly calling her ‘Janet’ once again.
The sisters chuckled, but the girlfriend, ready for her next move, responded enthusiastically:
“That’s a great idea!”
Thanksgiving Day arrived, and the couple showed up with their usual contributions, minus the turkey. The aghast family soon realized the mishap when the girlfriend explained she assumed ‘Janet’ was responsible for the turkey since that was the name used during the planning conversation.
The resulting scene was chaotic: “There was yelling, crying, and then we got kicked out.”
In the aftermath, her boyfriend ceased communication, leaving her to ponder the future of their relationship. Seeking external opinions, she posed her dilemma online, questioning if her response was justified.
The response was overwhelmingly supportive. Many people lauded her as a hero for standing up to the persistent name-calling, viewing her actions as justified. They felt it was a modest reaction compared to the recurring mockery she endured.
Some proposed confronting the mother directly, but recognized that her past efforts had been futile. Perhaps, they speculated, this bold move was necessary to make her boyfriend’s mother realize her mistake.
