Moms, dads, siblings, cousins, and grandparents – it's no big secret that your close family members can be a great source of support. You know, celebrating your highs, being there for you for your lows, and occasionally bickering about petty little things.
The same goes for all the partners – but unlike your relationship with your grandmother, for example, life tends to mess those up far more.
Falling out of love, being financially irresponsible, lack of communication, addiction, adultery – all these things are common reasons for divorce; and when any relationship ends, it's not uncommon for one or both partners to feel intense hatred for the other, meaning that for some, being friendly with one another is simply out of the picture.
More info: Reddit
You know how it is: you don't owe anything to anyone and they don't owe you anything either
Image credits: Josh McGinn (not the actual image)
“AITA for not allowing my daughter's half sister to spend Christmas with us?” - this web user turned to one of Reddit’s most judgmental communities, wondering whether she’s indeed a jerk for refusing to include her ex’s daughter in her Christmas celebration. The post managed to garner over 15K upvotes as well as 8.7K comments discussing the situation.
Woman ponders whether she's indeed a jerk for not allowing her kid's half-sister to spend Christmas with them
Image credits: u/Christmas_Joy231
The author of the post began her story by revealing that she's a divorcee and is sharing custody of her 13-year-old daughter with her ex-husband, who's married and has a 5-year-old child with his now-wife. The mother revealed that her kid frequently spent time with her half-sister. Furthermore, she stated that the girls adore one another, but the little one never comes to her house.
Unfortunately, the man's wife has been diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. Recently, when the author's ex came to drop their daughter off, he addressed his partner's situation and how his family won't be able to celebrate Christmas this year.
When the author's ex came to drop their daughter off, he mentioned how his family won't be able to celebrate Christmas due to his wife's cancer diagnosis
Image credits: JBLM MWR (not the actual image)
He said that it's unfair for his daughter and questioned whether the author could include her in her family's celebration. The man added that the girls would have a spectacular time together, "bonding and making memories."
The woman said no and blamed her decision on how sacred her family's traditional celebration is. She also claimed that she won't feel comfortable including anyone else, which is rather odd given that it's just a preschooler who also happens to be her daughter's sister – but hey, as most community members said, she's well within her rights to refuse.
Given how well their kid and the man's 5-year-old get along, the ex-spouse wondered whether she could invite the child to her family's celebration, but the woman refused
Image credits: u/Christmas_Joy231
The woman went on to say that having the 5-year-old in her house would be "awkward." The guy argued that while his daughter is not a part of the author's family per se, she is to her half-sister; nonetheless, the woman wasn't having it and recommended he take his daughter to his parents' house, but was then told that they had no contact.
She attempted to end the conversation but the man started talking about how cruel it was for her to refuse to invite his daughter, who is already going through a difficult time. The author noticed that her ex was becoming quite overwhelmed, so she stepped back and terminated the conversation.
The man accused his former partner of being "cruel," claiming that the kid is already having a hard time adjusting
Image credits: u/Christmas_Joy231
The woman then offered some extra commentary, stating that her family, who will also be attending the Christmas celebration, will be uncomfortable if the child joins
Image credits: Dave Luxton (not the actual image)
Later, the man texted the author to ask her once again if she would allow his daughter to spend Christmas with her; she declined and was slammed for being selfish.
The woman then added some extra commentary, saying that her family who are also going to attend the celebration revealed that they would not feel comfortable, hence why she said that it was going to be "awkward."
Some might wonder why a grown woman can't practice a little compassion. It's only a child whose father is doing his best to keep things together while her other parent is fighting a cruel disease, but it would be smart to assume that perhaps the woman may have been affected by her prior relationship and doesn't want to deal with it in any way. Who knows, though, what's really going on here.
What do you think about this situation?
Fellow community members shared their thoughts on this matter
