When it comes to giving and receiving gifts at the holidays, many of us are hoping for a gift from the person we are in a relationship with. After all, that shouldn't be too much to ask … right?
One woman recently shared on Reddit that she's found out that, apparently, hoping for a Christmas gift is too lofty a goal when it comes to the man she's married to. In fact, he doesn't plan to get her anything at all.
Her husband told her she was being materialistic, so she's looking for help.
The woman explains, "With Christmas coming up, I did want a gift from my husband, mainly for the symbolism like the thought of getting a Christmas gift, I know he doesn't have much money because he's very reluctant to work and skips going to his part time job most of the time, so I told him it could be something small, like a little stuffed animal or a keychain or even a Christmas card, but today he told me he doesn't have money and won't have any until next year because he spent his last money on a video game he had been wanting."
But he asked her to get gifts for him.
"He says I am materialistic for wanting a gift (even though he asked for several things which I already bought)," she continued, "and that Christmas should be about time with family instead of material things so I do feel guilty and like maybe I am wrong but I'm not sure."
She also pays all of their living costs.
"If it matters I pay all the bills and living costs so it's not that I've ever asked for anything (he did get me a card on my birthday when I asked him to) so I don't think I'm that materialistic but I do feel a bit bad so is it unreasonable for me to want a Christmas gift given that it would be really cheap or is it a reasonable desire?"
People are outraged.
Several commenters told the woman to return all of her husband's gifts and put nothing under the tree, or to buy her own presents for herself and put only those under it instead.
They also think she needs to figure out what she wants from this marriage.
"Why are you buying him gifts anyways??" exclaimed one commenter. "Also take a long hard look at this. Is this what you want for the rest of your life? I'm not suggesting you should leave him at this point. But I am saying you should take a moment to think about how you want to be treated going foward??"
They also think this constitutes abuse.
"Not immature," said another commenter. "Mentally and Emotionally Abusive. He demands several gifts from OP [the original poster]. OP pays all the bills and costs of living. Yet somehow has the gall to convince OP that THEY are materialistic for wanting just one single present? This is way beyond Reddits payroll. This is way beyond marriage counseling!"
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