What the woman did after her mother-in-law refused to save her a seat on Thanksgiving

A woman sought the help of the Reddit community after a terrible Thanksgiving dinner at her mother-in-law’s home. Upon arriving at the residence, everyone had already settled into their seats around the table, and no vacant chair was available for her. Beside her husband sat his ex-girlfriend, with whom her mother-in-law is close. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships are undoubtedly complex to nurture and nourish, especially if they have been strained for a while.

However, one woman may have ruined her relationship with her mother-in-law after a Thanksgiving dinner, where her husband’s ex was present. A 28-year-old woman sought the help of Reddit community members regarding her Thanksgiving situation. She has been married to her 33-year-old husband, Shaun, for five months, but they have been together for two years. Like many other married women, she also didn’t have the best relationship with her mother-in-law.

According to the woman, her mother-in-law was passive-aggressive and would often criticize her.To make matters worse, the mother-in-law had an excellent relationship with Shaun’s ex-girlfriend, Julissa, who still got invited to family occasions. Because of the bond Julissa formed with Shaun’s family over the years, she remained on good terms with everyone, regardless of their breakup. Although it wasn’t ideal, the woman never minded Julissa’s attendance during family gatherings and holidays. However, Thanksgiving dinner changed everything.“We had Thanksgiving dinner at my MIL’s house. My husband, Shaun, went there before me, and when I arrived, it was already dinner time, and all the chairs were taken,” she said.

By the time she got there, her husband and everyone else were already seated and ready to eat. Unfortunately, there were no more seats empty for the woman to take, nor was there space to fit another chair.After asking why her mother-in-law did not save a seat for her, Shaun’s mom apologized and explained that her granddaughter had joined the celebration at the last minute. Admittedly, the woman did not like the answer and gestured towards Julissa, who was seated beside her husband. She claimed that, as the daughter-in-law, she had more right to be at the table than Shaun’s ex-girlfriend.

By the time the woman knew she shouldn’t have said those words, it was too late. Her mother-in-law claimed that Julissa was just as much family as the Original Poster(OP).She also noted that her daughter-in-law was rude to think otherwise. While the exchange happened, Julissa nodded and glanced at the woman. The woman said: “I was so upset I wanted to leave but decided to just sit on my husband’s lap and act as casual as possible. I sat on his lap asking if he was okay with it.”While sitting on Shaun’s lap, the woman and her husband started to eat and compliment the dishes.

However, the table went into awkward silence when the woman praised her husband’s warm and comfortable lap. Although the woman’s brother-in-law tried to make conversation and make the situation less awkward, the elephant in the room was too humongous to ignore. Meanwhile, the woman’s mother-in-law and Julissa barely touched their food and would look at each other and then at her.After a few minutes, Julissa excused herself to go to the washroom, and the woman’s mother-in-law followed. The table remained awkward. Still, the woman and her husband ate well. When the dinner ended, the woman and her husband went home. She then received a message from her mother-in-law, calling her out for being inappropriate and ruining the Thanksgiving celebration.

The mother-in-law claimed the woman could have taken a chair from the kitchen instead of acting like a child and making Julissa feel uncomfortable. While many Reddit users sided with the woman, a few called out her husband for doing absolutely nothing while the situation unfolded. One person said: “[He should have given] you his seat while he went to fetch another one. In fact, he should have already had an empty seat beside him waiting for you. ”Meanwhile, another Reddit user said of the husband, “Why isn’t he managing his mom and shutting down her match making with his ex? Ultimately thus needs to go through him and seemed very passive in all this.”
Do you think the woman did the right thing by sitting on her husband’s lap? What would you have done in this situation?

Related Posts

THEY TOLD US HE DIED IN THE LINE OF DUTY—BUT HIS DOG KNEW BETTER Nobody could get Rex to move. He stood like a statue at the casket, paw resting on the edge, nose pressed to the wood like he was waiting for a signal. One last command. Something to explain why the voice he knew better than his own heartbeat had suddenly gone silent. Officer Grant was the best handler on the force. Everybody said so. Clean record, sharp instincts, calm under pressure. And he loved that dog like it was family. No—more than family. So when they said it was a “routine traffic stop gone bad,” none of us questioned it. Not out loud, anyway. But Rex didn’t believe it. You could see it in the way he sniffed the edges of the casket, searching—not for closure, but for proof. For something that made sense. I was standing a few rows back when the dog did something strange. He stepped back. Looked directly at the guy holding his leash. Then growled. Low. Quiet. But unmistakable. The leash officer froze. You don’t ignore a K9 when it reacts like that. And then, as the priest kept speaking, I saw what Rex saw. A patch of tan fabric stuck to the sole of a man’s shoe. Right in the front row. Civilian clothes. No badge. No tears. Just watching like he was waiting for it to be over. Rex growled again. And this time, I saw the patch too. It had a bloodstain. And three letters barely visible under the smear: “IA—” ⬇️ (continue reading in the first cᴑmment)

Nobody could get Rex to move. He stood like a statue at the casket, paw resting on the edge, nose pressed to the wood like he was…

HE BUYS HER THE SAME ROSES EVERY WEEK—EVEN THOUGH SHE DOESN’T REMEMBER WHY We saw him every Thursday around 3pm. Same motorized cart. Same yellow JEGS hat. And always—always—the same bouquet of red roses in the basket. He’d roll straight past the deli, turn into the floral section, pick the fullest bunch, and sniff them like it still meant something. My coworker Kira asked him once, “Special occasion today?” He just smiled and said, “Not today. Just Thursday.” That week, I decided to follow him out—just curious. He loaded his groceries into a beige sedan with shaky hands. Took his time, wiped the dashboard like it mattered, then opened the passenger door. That’s when I saw her. She looked elegant even in a worn cardigan. Gray hair pulled back with a velvet ribbon. Eyes wide and blank, like she was somewhere else entirely. He handed her the roses without a word. She looked at them like she’d never seen a flower before. Then smiled. “Are these from the man who used to bring me flowers?” she asked. He paused for half a second. Then nodded. “Yeah, sweetheart. Every Thursday.” He kissed her forehead and helped her buckle in. I stood there watching like a fool, heart in my throat. And I couldn’t stop thinking about how much it must hurt—being remembered as a stranger by the person who once knew everything about you. But the next week? He came back. Same time. Same hat. Same roses. Only this time, he grabbed a second bouquet too. And tucked a note into that one. I saw it slip out as he turned the cart—folded, handwritten, with just three words showing: “In case she…”⬇️

We saw him every Thursday around 3pm. Same motorized cart. Same yellow JEGS hat. And always—always—the same bouquet of red roses in the basket. He’d roll straight…

HE RETURNED HER TRASH CAN EVERY WEEK—BUT TODAY, SOMETHING WAS DIFFERENT It was just another morning. Another trash pickup. But then I saw him—the same sanitation worker I’d noticed before. He didn’t just empty the can and leave. He carefully wheeled it all the way back to the side door of the small brick house, just like he always did. No rush. No hesitation. Just quiet kindness. Curious, I approached the elderly woman sitting on her porch. She smiled softly. “That man? He’s been doing that for me every week,” she said. “Since my husband passed, I can’t bring it back myself.” I glanced back at him, feeling something heavy settle in my chest. But then I noticed… he wasn’t heading back to the truck right away. He just stood there, staring at the house. Something was wrong. And the moment I realized why—my stomach dropped.⬇️ (continue reading in the first cᴑmment)

It was just another morning. Another trash pickup. But then I saw him—the same sanitation worker I’d noticed before. He didn’t just empty the can and leave….

Many people don’t know what its purpose is used for 🤔 but now that I know, I don’t know if I wanted to know 👇😅 check in comms:

The brightly colored fabric strip may appear pointless at first, and visitors frequently take it off for comfort. In addition to complete sets of pillows, blankets, and…

I ADOPTED A 4-YEAR-OLD BOY—ALL SEEMED PERFECT UNTIL HE SHOWED ME HIS DRAWING I always dreamed of having kids, but life didn’t go the way I planned. After years of hoping and waiting, I realized maybe my path was meant to be different. That’s when I met Joey, a little boy who needed a home just as much as I needed him. From the moment he reached for my hand, I knew I was finally a mom. A week after Joey moved in, I planned his FIRST REAL BIRTHDAY. I wanted it to feel special—balloons, pancakes, presents carefully picked out just for him. We laughed in the kitchen, making a total mess, and for a moment, I thought he finally felt safe. But when he opened his gift, his smile faded. By the time we sat down with the cake, HE WASN’T EVEN LOOKING AT ME! Just staring at the candle like it wasn’t real… I nudged the plate toward him, waiting for that little spark of joy. Instead, he looked up, eyes full of something I couldn’t place. And that’s when he said it, quiet but sharp enough to break me: “My birthday was YESTERDAY.” “But… the documents say it’s today,” I whispered. “They made a MISTAKE. It’s my brother’s…” he answered. My heart stopped. “Wait. Your BROTHER??” He was silent for a moment, then finally added, “YOU HAVE TO SEE SOMETHING.” Then, he reached under his pillow and pulled out a small wooden box. He opened it and took out a folded piece of paper, handing it to me. I looked at it… and oh my God! ⬇

My adopted son stared at his birthday cake in silence. Then, tears rolled down his cheeks. “My birthday was yesterday,” he whispered. My stomach dropped—the documents said today. What…

After going through numerous challenges, Carrie Underwood and her husband decided to move to a farm.. (check in first comment👇)

Carrie Underwood, having grown up on a farm, developed a love for gardening and organic living. She considers her garden a “happy place” where she can reflect….