Woman steals mother's porcelain doll from her 10-year-old niece wonders if she's wrong after rest are destroyed in a fire years after

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Feb 8, 2025 12:00 PM EST

Taking things that aren't yours is bad—it's one of the foundational lessons of our society. From the time we first took little Timmy's ball at recess (because it was red and we liked the color,) and were made to give it back despite declaring "Finders keepers" we learned that taking things that aren't yours isn't ok. For some of us, the lesson stuck, but for others not so much.

Whereas most things in life have a lot of grey areas and blurred lines, stealing really, well, doesn't. Stealing is wrong. Disobeying your own family's last will and testament is also wrong—in both the moral and legal sense. 

I'm going to give you a hot take on this one: The doll thief isn't really in the wrong here—at least not totally. Sure, she sort of technically stole from a child, but there is at least partial justification for that. 

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    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

  • Watching prized and sentimental objects that represent your last remaining memory of your own mother go to some sticky child who doesn't appreciate them, understand them, or even have the same context of their worth is—well, irksome. 

    Besides, if she hadn't “saved” one of the dolls, it would certainly now all be lost along with the rest of them, and given how everything ended up panning out, that's probably for the best, even though a wrong was initially committed. 

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    "AITA for not giving my niece the porcelain doll my mother left for her?"

    My niece Jay (10F) was the only Granddaughter when my mother di d in 2020. When she did, she wanted my niece to have her porcelain doll collection which had around 6 dolls. These porcelain dolls were around when I was a child and I had memories of getting in trouble for playing with them. They were absolutely beautiful.
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    Well, when my mother di dl (29F) decided to keep ONE doll, I know it wasn't left to me, but I felt like they meant more to me than they could to my niece. I contemplated giving it back to her when she was old enough to appreciate it. We're from Louisiana and hurricane Laura hit ...
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    when we evacuated. I took the doll with me because I knew it was sentimental and irreplaceable. My niece, however let all of the remaining five dolls get ruined in hurricane because she let them in the house when where got ruined.
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    My twin sister (Jays mom) thanks that it's only fair that I give Jay the doll. I kept safe because after all it was left for her.... My argument is that if I would have gave her the doll, it would have gotten ruined with the other ones because she didn't care enough about them to take them her with her. Fast- forward, we are now in 2025 and I have a daughter of my own. I 100 % believe if my mom would have known she was gonna have another granddaughter she would have left a doll to her. AITA?
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    OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the a hole: I believe I could be the a h le because I kept a doll that wasn't meant for me...but I feel justified in my actions. I need advice.
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    True-Blackberry-3080 YTA for a few reasons. 1. It is not nor was it ever your doll. It was always your niece's doll. Your mother very specifically said they were all to go to your niece. If you wanted one you should have told your mother this before she did and asked if you could have one.
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    2. your niece didn't leave the doll during a hurricane evacuation because she didn't give a crop about the dolls...they were left because as a minor young child she was relying on her parents to get out in an incredibly scary situation. wrapping up a bunch of dolls no matter how sentimental the priority for any of them was not and has NOTHING to do with any of this,
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    3. It doesn't matter how sure you are about how your mom would feel now since there is another granddaugher.... You could be 100 percent imprint sure...it doesn't matter because your mom is de d and left zero thoughts about that.
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    You went against your mothers wishes and pretty much stole a doll from a child. YTA for doing that. And you are an even bigger AH for refusing to give it back.
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    Finding Fit6035 YTA. Can't believe your holding against your niece that she left the dolls during a HURRICANE. Do you think someone that young would be thinking of the dolls when something that scary is going on? Your in the wrong for keeping the doll to begin with when you know your mom wanted your niece to have them all. And your a grown adult, you know it was wrong but you still did it anyways. If you decide to keep it for your daughter you'll most likely face a lot of backlash from your fami
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    PaladinHeir YTA. The doll is not yours to keep, period. Also hang on. Your niece is 10 now, right? Laura happened in 2020. You're really trying to justify yourself by blaming a 6-year- old for not taking her dolls with her? Of her not caring enough? Ew, honestly. Give the doll back, thief.
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    merlinshairyballs I don't exactly have a judgement but i don't think it's fair to hold a natural disaster against your niece. She's a minor and obviously not thinking clearly. She didn't destroy them, an act of god did. You should perhaps be a bit more fair towards her.
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    Conscious-Shoulder14 YTA. You are going against your mother's direct wishes and stealing from your niece. Give her the doll; it doesn't belong to you whether you like it or not.
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    SingleAlfredoFemale INFO: when did your sister discover that you had kept one of the dolls? And what was her reaction?
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    Plane_Alternative_42 YTA - Legally it's not your's to keep. Further what grown woman writes the phrase "she let them get ruined by the hurricane" especially about a child. Unless she picked them up, took them outside, let them get waterlogged and strewn about thus INTENTIONALLY ruining
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    the dolls, your adolescent niece had nothing to do with the natural disaster and thinking otherwise is absolutely ridiculous. People are evacuating to save their lives not family keepsakes. SMH
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    scotchlondon YTA. Your mum wanted your niece to have these dolls. You stole the doll from your niece - keeping one wasn't your decision to make.
    via QueenB1253

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