A Reddit user, self-identified as a 27-year-old woman, sought assistance following a heated altercation with her mother-in-law, as recounted in a post on the popular “AITA” subreddit in late November 2022.
The woman, who is five months pregnant and adheres to a meat-free diet due to existing health issues, detailed the strain in her relationship with her mother-in-law, particularly when it came to rejecting the food prepared by the latter.
During Thanksgiving, the woman, in an effort to be considerate, refrained from attending the gathering since she hadn’t brought any food with her, given her pregnancy. Instead, she prepared a modest meal to bring along.
However, her mother-in-law expressed dissatisfaction, asserting that the woman was depriving her grandchild of the purported benefits of meat consumption. The woman defended herself, explaining that she took vitamins to compensate for her dietary choices, but her mother-in-law dismissed it, leading to increased tension.
At the dinner table, the situation escalated as the mother-in-law refused to let the woman assist in the kitchen and subsequently failed to place her dish on the table. When questioned in public, the mother-in-law claimed she hadn’t received any food from the woman and insinuated that the dish might have been left at home or in the car accidentally.
This triggered a public confrontation, with the mother-in-law urging the woman to eat what she had set out. Despite her husband’s advice to let it go, the woman chose to leave, gathering her belongings and exiting the situation.
Later, it was revealed that the mother-in-law had discarded the dish the woman brought, insisting that she should consume what was provided. The mother-in-law justified her actions by expressing concern for the grandchild’s health, while the husband urged the woman to overlook the incident.
The mother-in-law perceived the woman as emotional and difficult to handle due to their intense argument. The woman is left wondering if her decision to leave was justified.
Additional information clarified that the dish the woman brought was specifically crafted to meet her dietary needs and was not a mere side dish. It entailed both financial investment and effort to prepare. The mother-in-law, however, continued to emphasize her concerns for the grandchild’s well-being.