Internet Backs Man Who Proposed With Mom's Ring, Despite Brother's Demands
The internet has come to the defense of a man who proposed to his girlfriend with his mother's ring, despite his brother wanting it back.
U/LegitimateAvacado923 shared his story to Reddit's popular "AmITheA**hole forum in the hopes of truly knowing if he should give the ring back to his mother so she could give it to his brother and wife.
The Redditor explained that his mother inherited a wedding ring that has been passed down for generations. Since she has no siblings, the ring will be passed down to the Reddit user or his brother, depending on who wants it when proposing to their significant others.
When his brother got engaged, he claimed that his wife didn't want the ring so he gave it back to his mother. When the OP (original poster) proposed to his girlfriend, she loved the ring.
In 2021, couples who got married spent approximately $34,000 on the ceremony and reception, according to The Knot, not including the price of a ring. Having one handed down can save thousands.
"My brother went bonkers when he found out I gave the ring to my girlfriend," he wrote. "He saw our engagement photo. First he said I didn't have the right because it was his. Or his wife's. But neither of them wanted the ring. He gave it back to my mom for crying out loud."
The OP was confused as his brother got married in 2010 and said that his wife didn't want it. He said his brother's wife exchanged her previous wedding ring for a new one so he wondered if she changed her mind about the ring after many years.
"My brother accused me of being a cheapskate. Except that he proposed with the ring too back then. If my girlfriend didn't like it or it didn't exist I could have afforded a ring. The ring isn't particularly valuable besides sentiment. They want me to ask my girlfriend for it back and return it to our mom." he said.
He admitted he hadn't told his girlfriend about the predicament and was confused as to why his brother and sister-in-law wanted the ring back—after a decade.
Followers of the "AITA" community were quick to comment.
"NTA the story went: Mom: hey son 1 do you want this thing? Son 1: No thanks I don't you keep it. Son 2: Hey can I have that thing? Mom: Yes you can. Son 1: That's mine. He's like a toddler who only wants something because someone else is playing with it," u/xLostandAfraidx wrote, receiving the top comment with over 14,000 upvotes.
"NTA. I hope your fiancé wears it EVERYWHERE and posts it in every picture imaginable on Instagram, and shows the entire worlds because she loves it. I hope you guys make it your Lock Screen photos and use it on your invitations. I hope you have a giant seating chart and the ring is the background image and I hope your brother and SIL have to face it while they eat," u/entropificus said.
They continued: "I hope your cheesy wedding slide show has the ring flying through the screen as the screen wipe. I hope your get it God d**n tattooed to your bicep so you can literally flex on your brother every time you see him. Even if you did every single one of these thing you still wouldn't be the asshole because he gave back the ring to your mom making it YOUR MOTHERS RING THAT SHE GAVE TO YOU."
"It's your mother's ring and she gets to decide what to do with it," U/findthecircle said. "She gave it to you after your SIL refused it. Bro and SIL are mad that you have something they believe should be theirs. NTA."
