A lady went on Reddit after canceling the big Thanksgiving dinner she always hosted for 20 years. She did it because of issues with her brother’s wife.
Some of her family felt she made a mistake canceling the dinner, but others agreed with her choice. She shared her story on Reddit to get opinions from strangers.
The 40 years old woman invited her mom, kids, siblings, and their spouses to her place for Thanksgiving. When she invited her brother, his wife’s message made her cancel the event.
What caused the cancellation?
The person who started the conversation (OP) talked about meeting her brother’s wife, Julie, five years ago. Since then, Julie consistently caused issues during the yearly Thanksgiving dinner, as explained by the Reddit user:
“Julie follows trendy diets like Atkins, keto, and South Beach. Every year, she gives me a list of foods she can’t eat and a list of things she can eat.”
Last year, Julie sent a list to OP, who cooked special meals based on her new diet. Despite OP’s efforts, the family dinner still went wrong.
OP explained that Julie got upset at the table because her husband didn’t want to eat her keto food. The Reddit user shared how they argued at the Thanksgiving table and ruined the night.
When OP invited her family to this year’s Thanksgiving dinner, Julie said she was on a special diet for fertility treatments. Annoyed, OP texted Julie that she was only making one dish and couldn’t accommodate her request. OP explained what she said, mentioning:
“I texted her and said that this year I’m making only one meal. She could either eat what I’m serving or bring her own food.”
After reading OP’s message, Julie felt hurt and told her that she was being selfish for not thinking about her request. She also complained about OP to her husband that night.
OP’s brother scolded her on the phone for messing up Thanksgiving dinner the next day. He also brought up how Julie accommodated OP’s food allergies when hosting a BBQ party earlier in the year.
OP explained that her food allergies could be life-threatening, while Julie’s diet was a personal choice that changed every year. She told her brother that comparing the two wasn’t fair. Her brother called their mother, who said everyone in the family found it challenging to meet Julie’s dietary needs, and she should bring her diet food to family dinners.
When OP talked to her husband about the problem, he proposed canceling the dinner, and she agreed. She messaged everyone that Thanksgiving dinner was canceled, saying:
“I’ll be serving the Thanksgiving menu. If they want to join us for a meal, they are welcome to do so.”
After reading OP’s message, her sister, husband, and son were on her side, but her mother thought she shouldn’t have canceled the dinner. She shared her story on Reddit to seek advice from others.
What people on Reddit said about OP’s story.
Lots of Reddit users criticized Julie, saying it wasn’t necessary to cater to such requests. Some shared their own experiences with dietary preferences. One person talked about going vegan and getting criticized by vegan coworkers for cooking non-vegan meals for family members.
Most people felt Julie’s requests were unreasonable, and they thought OP was right in not changing the entire Thanksgiving dinner for her.
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