We all have certain possessions that are very important to us - it's a scientifically proven fact. The reason why it's important usually carries some kind of emotional value, whether connected to ideas you adore, experiences you've lived, or people you love.
Just like in this story, a woman had a family heirloom that was very important to her, but since she didn't have a place in her home, she kept it at her parents' place. Until one day, out of the blue, they decided to get rid of it.
More info: Reddit
We all have objects that are very important to us for one reason or another
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection / Freepik (not the actual photo)
This woman's treasured object was the piano she grew up playing and inherited from her grandma
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Since she lived in a small space, she kept the instrument at her parents' place and came once a week to practice
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Until one day she found the place where her piano usually sat, empty - her parents donated it to their church
Image credits: awkward_sun_flower
Since the instrument was so precious to her, she reached out to the pastor and got it back, which angered the parents
The 26-year-old OP grew up playing her grandma’s upright piano, which she later inherited. Yet, since she lives in a tiny apartment, she kept the instrument in her parents’ basement, where she came to practice once a week. Everyone knew it as “her piano.”
Then, one day, she showed up at her folks’ place with new sheet music, but the piano was nowhere to be found. Apparently, the church that the parents are a part of mentioned that they needed an instrument for the kids' choir, so they donated the piano they had.
This made the woman lose it – the piano wasn’t theirs to donate, it was hers! When confronted about it, mom explained that things “are meant to be used, not sit in the basement.” This was complete nonsense, as the woman played the instrument weekly, so it was being put to use. Besides that argument, mom also accused her daughter of being too sentimental over “just wood and strings.”
Yet, even after such accusations, the OP wasn’t about to just let go of those wood and strings. She contacted the pastor and explained to him the situation about the instrument being her inheritance. He was understanding and agreed to give the piano back. This infuriated the woman’s parents; they started yapping about how she “dragged the church into family drama,” and how embarrassing it is for them.
Such words, of course, didn’t please the daughter, but she also couldn’t stop feeling like giving away the piano would be like stealing from her, and that’s why she couldn’t simply let it go.
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Well, the stuff we own in a way represents who we are and showcases our identities. It’s a phenomenon known as the “extended self,” or in other words, “you are what you own.” Granted, the idea includes more things than only the possessions, but people, places, and even ideas too, but with today’s topic, let’s focus on the possessions only.
So, given the fact that the stuff we own is inseparable from who we are, when they are damaged, fully broken, or get lost, it can feel like an injury to one’s self. That’s why losing a piano she treasured was a hit for the OP.
Not to mention the fact that it was a thing she inherited from her beloved grandma – it’s basically her heirloom. And those are known to carry sentimental value – whether due to the fact that it's common to pass it down for family members or because it has memories attached due to a specific family relationship, which was very much the case in today’s story.
That’s why netizens reassured the OP that she wasn’t the jerk to take it back from the church. In addition to that, they told her to find a new place to store it, to ensure this kind of situation doesn’t happen again.
Yet, people online didn't think she was a jerk here - she simply got her possession back
