Entitled daughter-in-law throws a hissy fit when her widowed MIL refuses to hand over her late husband's heirloom wedding ring as an early inheritance: 'She has zero claim to it'

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Dec 11, 2024 6:00 AM EST

I've been married for 7 years and cannot imagine a life without my husband, so when this 60-year-old widow in our next story clung to the last remaining memory of her late husband–his simple gold band wedding ring–I truly get it. So when her entitled daughter-in-law somehow thought that something so meaningful could just be tossed around from hand to hand, she was firmly in the right to deny her request. 

Wedding rings are special. Not only do they represent a love that transcends time and space, but they are deeply personal. Usually, when you inherit an heirloom wedding ring from some deceased family member, it's because they're long gone (from some great-great grandma, perhaps) and that deep connection with the ring has passed away with them. This is why it's entirely reasonable that the mother-in-law in this next story, who was widowed at a young age, refused to part with such a meaningful artifact: Her late husband's wedding band. 

Read on for all the details of the daughter-in-law who disrespected a woman's 35-year-long marriage by demanding an early inheritance in the form of her late father-in-law's wedding band. By the way, she had never even met the man, so I'd say she has zero claim to that ring. 

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    Cheezburger Image 10438082304
    via KatarzynaBialasiewicz

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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    AITA for Refusing to Let My Daughter-in-Law Take My Late Husband's Wedding Ring? I'm a widow in my 60s. My husband passed away 10 years ago, and I've kept his wedding ring in a little box with some of
    via bluesjean
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    his things. It's nothing fancy-just a plain gold band-but it's one of the few things I still have that feels like him. Sometimes, when I miss him, I take it out and hold it. It's been a real comfort over the years.
    via bluesjean
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    My daughter-in-law, Jenna, has always commented on the ring when she visits. She'll say things like, 'It's so timeless,' or, 'I'd love to wear something with that kind of history! I thought she was just being nice, but last week, she
    via bluesjean
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    came right out and asked if she could borrow it for a while. I didn't really know how to respond at first. She said wearing it would help her feel closer to the family and honor my husband.
    via bluesjean
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    I told her I wasn't comfortable with that. The ring is so personal to me. It's not just something you loan out-it's a part of my memories with him. But Jenna didn't seem to understand. She got upset and said she didn't
    via bluesjean
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    think I trusted her and that I was being selfish for keeping something so meaningful to our family locked away. She even said it would mean more to her to wear it than for me to just keep it in a box.
    via bluesjean
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    My son didn't really say much at the time, but later, I got a text from Jenna. It was long and emotional. She said she was hurt, that I was treating her like an outsider, and that maybe I was "too stuck in the past" to see how much this would mean to her. She even hinted that I was being controlling, which honestly broke my heart.
    via bluesjean
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    Now, some other family members are saying I'm overreacting, and that it's just a ring, but it doesn't feel that way to me. My husband and I were married for 35 years. That ring has been with me through everything-good times, bad times, raising our kids. I
    via bluesjean
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    don't want to sound dramatic, but it feels like a piece of him is still with me. I can't imagine letting it out of my sight. I'm starting to wonder if I'm being
    via bluesjean
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    unreasonable, though. Jenna seems to think I'm trying to shut her out, and the last thing I want is to cause tension in the family. I don't know if I should apologize or stick to my decision. AITA?
    via bluesjean
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    FrontTour1583 !? Who are these family members saying your late husband's WEDDING RING is just another piece of jewelry? That's bananas. NTA but your DIL and any family members encouraging this lunacy is.
    via FrontTour1583
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    She was wildly out of line to ask for the ring. this is crazy. Even if it was your son/his son asking that would be iffy and totally reasonable to say no. The wedding ring was a special symbol between you and your husband. No one else. This is wild.
    via FrontTour1583
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    Also if the ring isn't that big of a deal then it's not a big deal to wear it. Can't have it both ways to those saying it's not a big deal. "DIL, while I appreciate that you want to form stronger bonds with our family, this isn't the way to do it. That ring isn't something I would
    via FrontTour1583
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    ever loan out or give to anyone else. It is a symbol of my 35 year marriage to the love of my life. It was inappropriate for you to ask for it in the first place and wildly inappropriate for you to react this way to me saying no." I really can't believe this even has to be said. i. Also, I would hide the ring when she or your son are over. Or wear it.
    via FrontTour1583
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    bluesjean OP Thank you for understanding-it's been such a hard thing to navigate. I feel awful for saying no to Jenna because I really do want her to feel part of the family, and I didn't mean to hurt her feelings. It's just that the ring is so deeply personal to me. Every time I look at it, it reminds me of my husband and all the years we spent together.
    via bluesjean
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    I've been trying to think of ways to make it up to her or help her feel more connected, but I just don't know what to do without giving up something that means so much to me. I feel stuck, and the last thing I want is to cause tension. I didn't expect this to become such a big issue-it's honestly been weighing on me.
    via bluesjean
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    BulbasaurRanch She's not even related to your husband? Like, a child requesting it I can see. But it's her father-in-laws wedding ring? lol she can gtfo. She has zero claim to it.
    via BulbasaurRanch
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    Aledraws5 NTA. It's your husband's wedding ring. You have every right to decide if you lend it or not. And I'm not even sure the ring would fit her. If you lent it to her, she could try to get it resized to fit her.
    via Aledraws5
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    FloMoJoeBlow Jenna certainly is entitled, huh? It's really wierd that the daughter IN LAW wants a man's ring, not the son. You need to shut her down. I absolutely cannot imagine having the selfish balls (or stupidity) to ask a widowed parent in law for something so personal.
    via FloMoJoeBlow
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    Ok Stable7501 She saw your late husband's wedding ring and thought... mine... mine... mine.. because? Why? Unless she's gollum and it's a magic ring, this makes no sense. Not everything belongs to you is a kindergarten level concept. Is it too later for your son to return her?
    via Ok_Stable7501
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    GovernmentBusiness What an entitled brat. She has no right to ask that of you. It actually makes me feel angry that she would try to guilt trip you over something that is none of her business
    via GovernmentBusiness
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    camkats No NTA she might be planning to sell it do not let it out of your sight. And move it so she can't find it when she is at your house. Be sure to address it in your will as who should receive it. Something is fishy about this.
    via camkats

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