17-year-old takes all of the photographs of his late mother because his dad's 2nd wife doesn't want them in the house, wife yells at him for taking too many: 'She said 1 or 2 made sense but it felt like a big [insult] to her that I was taking them all'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Mar 27, 2025 8:00 AM EDT

In the distant year of 2017, a wise internet user posted this salient quote: 

"Twitter is the only place where well articulated sentences get misinterpreted. You can say "I like pancakes" and someone will say "So you hate waffles?" No *****. Dats a whole new sentence. Wt* is you talkin about."

While Bravo Coolee was cooking here, he was not 100% right. Twitter isn't the only place where this happens. Human beings are known for insinuating that you said something when you really said something totally different. It really proves just how fickle human memory can be. It's easy for an anxious mind to derive negative meaning from something that isn't there or to extrapolate meaning from totally benign statements or actions. However, that doesn't mean we should validate and treat that delusion as reality. You can acknowledge someone's hurt feelings without prioritizing said feelings over the truth of a situation.

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  • The stepmom in this story projected her marital insecurities onto her husband's son. She wanted to get rid of photos of his late mother in their house because she felt insecure about being "the second wife." When the teenager decided to take all the pictures, she was insecure about that too! Pick a lane, lady. 

  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10486503168
    via Mark Aliiev

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    AITA for taking all my mom's photos from dad's house and asking his new wife why it's any of her business?

    My dad got married last month and his wife only moved in a week after the wedding (they were long distance for three years). I (17M) still live at home for now but I plan to move out this summer. When my dad's wife moved in she told my dad she didn't want to see any photos of
    via u/RainPersonal8561
  • 03
    my mom around the house. That it was supposed to be her home and she could not make a home with those memories on display. She needed to know she was his wife, not just his second wife. So the photos came down. My dad was going to store them so he offered to let me take whatever photos I wanted since they'd just gather dust according to him.
    via u/RainPersonal8561
  • 04
    Cheezburger Image 10486540544
    via Drazen Nesic (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 05
    I took them all. Not some, not one or two, I took them all and my grandparents are keeping them safe for me. Dad's wife had no issue with me taking the ones I wanted until I wanted them all. Then she asked me why I was taking them all and I asked her why it bothered her so much. She said one or two made sense but it felt like a big f you to her that I was taking them all and couldn't
    via u/RainPersonal8561
  • 06
    stand the idea of the others going into indefinite storage. I told her it sounded like she was planning to throw them out once our backs were turned and she got ped and told me I was insulting her by taking them all. I got mad and asked her why it's any of her business and who is she to tell me what I can and can't do.
    via u/RainPersonal8561
  • 07
    My dad told her I was told I could take whatever and she said she hadn't realized I'd take every one of them. Then she said I insulted her in her own home and asked dad why I had such an attitude toward her. I told her she was the one who interfered when she wasn't asked to. That became another fight and dad told us to cool off.
    via u/RainPersonal8561
  • 08
    She's still annoyed that I took them all and still feels like it was a f you to her. She also said I was beyond ride to curse at her and ask her why it was her business, as if to say she doesn't also live here and isn't my family now. AITA?
    via u/RainPersonal8561
  • 09
    Cheezburger Image 10486540800
    via Pablo Merchán Montes (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 10
    Eva-Dragon NTA. Those pictures are pictures of YOUR mom. They have no relevance to her. She wanted them gone. Now that they're gone, she's throwing a hissy fit. It's actually not about the pictures. It's about control. You're absolutely right. She was going to throw them away. Because again this is about control. She wanted to control the narrative about what happened to them. If she controlled the narrative, then you got the ones SHE wanted you to have, the rest went to file 13.
    via u/Eva-Dragon
  • 11
    Ashamed-Method8348 • 2h ago She was fine with them being gone until she realized she couldn't control how it happened. It's not even about the photos, it's about her wanting to control the whole situation.
    via u/Ashamed-Method8348
  • 12
    markmishall She's insecure, not you, If a few photos made her feel like just a second wife, that's a her problem, not yours.
    via u/markmishall
  • 13
    Carinna7272 Your dad offered, you took. She overstepped and her feelings don't trump your memories.
    via u/Carinna7272
  • 14
    spaceylaceygirl My petty a would call her "number 2" instead of her name, ALL the time!
    via u/spaceylaceygirl
  • 15
    CrystalDragon492 The reality is that she IS a second wife. If that is such a big deal to her, why tf did she marry a widower?
    via u/CrystalDragon492
  • 16
    fluffie_foxx You didn't destroy them. You didn't throw the pictures away, you just made sure they wouldn't be. That's completely reasonable.
    via u/fluffie_foxx
  • 17
    Material_Cellist4133 ΝΤΑ She was planning to throw them away. If I was you, I would take everything that belonged to your mother and store it at your grandfathers.
    via u/Material_Cellist4133
  • 18
    And when your father ask, just say, "your new wife's actions have shown she can't be trusted. Pretty sure she wants to throw anything related to mom away and I'm giving her that chance."
    via u/Material_Cellist4133
  • 19
    maroongrad Do one better... SHOW the dad. Replace mom's jewelry with shop and junk jewelry, same with her coffee mug, all of that. Mention to your dad's wife that your mom loved that necklace your dad got her, or that was her favorite coffee mug, that you remember when she picked those plates out and how much she liked the pattern...
    via u/maroongrad
  • 20
    But it's just stuff you grabbed from Goodwill. Make note of this, with the date/time you told her. And that stuff WILL VANISH. If your Dad ever notices that your mom's stuff is gone, tell him you knew his wife would be getting rid of it. And when he claims she would NEVER!!!! then you can show him that, um, yeah, she did. It'll take a couple hours to see what needs to leave, drop to goodwill and get replacements, and put them in place, but it'll be a well-spent couple of hours. I
    via u/maroongrad
  • 21
    don't know if your Dad doesn't REALIZE what he's married, or if he just does. not. care. If it's the second one, this is a waste of time. If it's the first, he might need that sort of a wake-up call. Then again, once you've got mom's stuff out? He may just need to learn the hard way on his own. He's a grown-up, he should have known better.
    via u/maroongrad
  • 22
    CanAhJustSay This, this, this. Reminders of the memories. Your dad's new wife will always be his second wife. She can't change that. But she is his current wife, and the person he chose to marry. She doesn't realise that there isn't a competition yet now she's making it one, she will lose. But your dad is also at risk of losing you. And he really should care about that.
    via u/CanAhJustSay
  • 23
    Random_User1402 She is his second wife and her referring to "JUST his second wife" shows her insecurity which is her problem and not yours. NTA
    via u/Random_User1402
  • 24
    asafeplaceofrest When my dad's wife moved in she told my dad she didn't want to see any photos of my mom around the house. I can fully understand that, but is she psycho? One minute she wants them all out, next minute gets ped because they're all out. I don't envy your dad. NTA - you did what was requested, and now you know that no good deed goes unpunished.
    via u/Random_User1402
  • 25
    Alarming-Phone4911 Psycho possibly yes but make no mistake she wanted those pictures destroyed not gone...had op not intervened then those pictures would have gone in storage then destroyed because how would they know? unless they were looking at them and why would they b looking at them now Queeny most important pants is around
    via u/Alarming-Phone4911

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family drama pictures photography mother photos wife reddit story widower 2nd wife widow dad Photo family reddit thread Reddit mom parents
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