I would say that most of us are always looking forward to our birthdays, but I am pretty sure that the older you get, the less excited you may be about this special day. However, in any case, probably many of us still want to feel loved and appreciated on this day.
One Reddit user also wanted to make his girlfriend feel special on her birthday – however, despite going the extra mile for it, in the end, he got yelled at for sleeping too long.
More info: Reddit
Most of us want people who we love to feel they are important to us, but it would be also nice if they appreciated our effort to show that
Image credits: sujan khalifa (not the actual photo)
Man shares that he agreed to have his girlfriend’s birthday party at his home, where he spent quite a lot of time cleaning it and preparing
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)
He noted that he had a business trip planned on his girlfriend’s birthday, which he ended up rescheduling and changing not only his plans but others’ as well
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)
He added that in the end, his trip ended up being one of the hardest projects, and the day of his girlfriend’s birthday, his body couldn’t take it anymore so he fell asleep for 3 hours
Image credits: GatesDontKillMe
Despite this, he got up, got her flowers, cake, and went to take her to get lunch and see a movie, but was met with complaints that he had been sleeping for too long
A couple days ago, a Reddit user posted his story online asking for community members’ opinions if he was being a jerk after he fell asleep on his girlfriend’s birthday for 3 hours due to being exhausted. The post caught a lot of Redditors’ attention and collected over 7.4K upvotes and 1.6K comments.
The original poster (OP) starts his story by sharing that he agreed to host his girlfriend’s birthday party at his home, where he spent 9 hours cleaning and preparing everything. He added that he was supposed to have a business trip that was scheduled on her birthday, but he managed to agree to rework the entire project schedule so he could be there with her on her special day.
OP noted that this project ended up being one of the most exhausting in his life, as the work required him to work late nights, where he on average slept just for a few hours. However, he took the next day off so he could spend his girlfriend’s birthday with her. He shared that he woke up early to a work call and noticed that his body just couldn't handle it anymore and fell asleep for over 3 hours.
Despite this, he got up, got her flowers, went to her place to take her to her favorite lunch place and see the movie that she wanted, and got her favorite cake. However, after he got there, he was met not with gratitude but with yelling that he had been sleeping for too long. “I felt like I have been giving 110% to everyone and everything and yet I'm still getting yelled at,” OP noted.
The community members backed up the author and gave him the ‘Not the A-hole’ badge. “Eh, NTA and I would throw her back. Find someone to build a relationship who understands the pressures of adult life and has a healthy dose of empathy,” one user wrote. “NTA. Cut your losses and find someone who's more mature and mentally healthy,” another added.
Image credits: Silvia Trigo (not the actual photo)
Probably there is no surprise in the statement that appreciation in a relationship is important. I believe most of us want to feel loved not only on occasions, but every day. Sometimes it may appear that we have ‘gotten used’ to it, which may lead to not appreciating appreciation anymore, but by doing so, we can cultivate a deeper sense of connection and gratitude in our relationships.
Researcher Dr. John Gottman notes that in a relationship, partners who don't express gratitude to one another are far more likely to be critical, disrespectful, or defensive. In addition, he listed a few ways you can show appreciation to your partner: For example, it may simply be expressing affection, exchanging tender touch, a kiss, giving compliments or giving them a surprise present and he noted - go for the thought, not the price tag.
Moreover, according to Harvard Health studies, gratitude can lead to happiness. An individual who develops a habit of being thankful and showing gratitude gains advantages that extend beyond themselves. According to research from Harvard Health, couples who routinely express their thankfulness to their partner report feeling happier with each other.
So guys, if you needed a reminder to show gratitude and appreciation to your partner or friend - here it is! But coming back to the story, what is your take on this? Do you agree with Redditors that the man should leave his girlfriend or you think he disrespected her time by falling asleep? Share your thoughts below!
Redditors backed up the man and suggested that he rethink the whole relationship
