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Woman divides the internet after refusing to invite stranger to Thanksgiving

Woman divides the internet after refusing to invite stranger to Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving rush: Many people taking to the skies ahead of holiday
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A woman has divided the internet after revealing she refused to invite a stranger to Thanksgiving after her partner requested it.

The debate was sparked after the woman posted her dilemma on the popular ‘Am I the A**hole’ Reddit thread.

Explaining her situation, the woman said that she was set to introduce her partner to her family for the first time.

However, things were thrown into doubt when her boyfriend asked whether he could bring his roommate who the woman had never previously met.

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She wrote: “Me (26F) and my boyfriend (34M) have been dating for nearly a year and a half now. Tomorrow, he’s coming to Thanksgiving dinner at my dad’s house and meeting my family for the first time. I’m extremely family oriented and it’s so important to me that he’s finally meeting them.

The Reddit user detailed her unusual Thanksgiving dilemma iStock

“This also means the world to my family because I rarely bring men home and they’ve been wanting to meet him for a long time. He’s aware of this and how much this meeting means to me and has assured me that he’s looking forward to it too.”

She went on to say: “This afternoon, he asked if his roommate could come too. I was caught off guard and said no. I didn’t even ask my family who I’m sure would say yes, but it’s a hard boundary for me. I barely know his roommate but he’s military and will not be able to be with his own family for the holiday, which is why my boyfriend asked. I understand and appreciate his compassion and kindness but I need this event to be just him, me, and my family without his buddy who is a stranger to me.

“I called him to talk through it, but he’s extremely upset and wasn’t really responding. I asked if he’s still coming and he said yes. Then, I asked if he’s okay and he said no but that he will be. I told him to reach out to me when he’s ready and that I understand if he doesn’t want to talk to me right now so I haven’t heard from him since the phone call a couple hours ago. I feel like a massive asshole but this is one of the rare events where I’ve put my foot down in this relationship and refused to accommodate his wants. So, AITA?”

The post divided opinion in the comments section, with some rushing to her defence.

One wrote: “No, sorry, short of conjoined twins there's no brotherly relationship that makes it appropriate to ask to bring someone when meeting her family the first time. Especially if she doesn't know that person well either.

Another said: “She doesn't know the roommate at all and if the bf wanted them to have the type of relationship that includes thanksgiving then he's had a year and a half to help them build some sort of a a relationship with each other.”

One more supportive comment read: “NTA. If your boyfriend was a regular attendee at your family events, this would’ve been a more reasonable ask. But to bring a guest the first time you’re a guest? That’s a lot.”

However, some were more critical of her decision.

A user wrote: “The ‘holiday’ is literally about bringing people together. Even if that's not what really happened.

“What I see all the time is empty promises come holidays.”

Another commented: “Every Christmas and Thanksgiving since my husband and I met, I tell my step kids (they’re 18 and 21), ‘if you have any friends who need a place to be, they should be here.’ I wouldn’t be part of a family that would exclude a person who is alone and doesn’t want to be.”

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