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I Refused to Say Thank You for a Gift
It was not a gift. It was a tool to get a reaction out of me.
My mother-in-law needs to be the center of attention, and she needs to punish people when they do not immediately bend to her will. Lately, I displeased her by not making a big enough fuss about her birthday, so naturally, she needs to discipline me. She used my one-year-old’s Christmas gift to complete her mission, and I did not thank her for the gift. This incident leads me to change our relationship. Here’s why…
My mother-in-law lives in a different country.
Sometimes life is kind.
After ignoring my daughter’s first birthday, and her existence, (apart from the times that she could use her as a manipulation tool,) she said she was sending a Christmas gift by mail. She also stated, not asked, that she would be watching my daughter unwrap the gift on a video call at 11:15 am on Christmas day, and wanted to see her eat a Christmas cookie.
Cool. I’ll just wake her up from her nap to force-feed her sugar then. I’ll also teach her how to unwrap gifts. Any other demands? Maybe a helicopter to take you to the east coast of Egypt?
You may assume that my mother-in-law wants to see her granddaughter open the gift, so she can be a part of her pleasure and excitement. You would be wrong.
