Greetings, my dearest internet dwellers, it’s your favorite scribe of sass and wielder of wit, Roger, here to dissect another juicy morsel of modern matrimonial mayhem. Gather ’round as I tell the tale of a real Reddit story that has the forums ablaze with opinions, judgments, and the occasional sprinkle of unsolicited advice. So, buckle up, buttercups, because you’re in for a ride down the bumpy road of marital bliss meets parental obligations.
Picture this: a devoted mother, let’s call her *Mrs. Resentment*, and her industrious husband, henceforth referred to as *Mr. Priorities*, entangled in a scenario as old as time itself – or at least as old as kindergarten ice cream socials. Our saga begi…er if we’re being honest.
Fast forward to the great debate, a clash not of titans, but of schedules and, dare I say, priorities? Mrs. Resentment, ever the keeper of calendars and familial festivities, reminds Mr. Priorities of their son’s kindergarten ice cream social – a humble yet monumental affair for any 5-year-old. The response? A lukewarm “probably not but I’ll try” that could freeze dairy on a warm summer day.
But wait, there’s a plot twist worthy of a daytime drama! Mr. Priorities, it turns out, has meticulously planned a detour on his way home – not to rescue kittens from a tree, but to acquire a new truck for his burgeoning business venture. A noble pursuit, yet one that conveniently overlaps with creamy treats and slideshow presentations. Mrs. Resentment, channeling her inner detective, pieces together the puzzling priorities of her husband and confronts him, sparking a defensive retort and a communication blackout colder than the ice cream at said social.
Now, dear readers, before you cast your stones and brand Mrs. Resentment as the villain of this vanilla-flavored drama, let us consider the stakes. On one hand, we have Mr. Priorities, a man juggling the demands of supporting a family while chasing the entrepreneurial American dream. On the other, Mrs. Resentment, a part-time worker and full-time superhero managing the fort and fostering familial bonds. In the grand scheme of things, what’s a truck compared to treasured memories?
Alas, as dawn breaks on the day of the fateful social, Mr. Priorities makes a last-minute dash for redemption, proving that even the busiest of bees can find time for a little honey. The moral of our story? Communication, dear friends, is the golden ticket to marital harmony and avoiding unnecessary guilt trips.
Now, for Roger’s Hot Take: Neither party is without fault, but it’s the effort to compromise and recognize the value of both work obligations and family milestones that truly matters. Let us not forget that at the end of the day, it’s not the ice cream enjoyed but the memories made that will stick. So, let’s all scoop ourselves a hefty portion of understanding, sprinkle it with open communication, and top it off with a cherry of mutual respect.
Remember, it’s the simple moments that make life sweet. Until next time, keep your spoons polished, and your takes hot, my intrepid internet inhabitants. Roger, out.
Original story
My (39f) husband (37m) works out of town every week and has for our son’s entire life. He leaves Sunday evening and returns Thursday at varying times depending on where he is and how late he is working. This Thursday is our son’s last day of Kindergarten. His school isn’t having a graduation ceremony or anything, but on the last day of school they have a big slideshow presentation for everyone and an ice cream social which our son is super excited about. I texted my husband on Tuesday asking him if he was going to make it to which he replied “when is it” and then “probably not but I’ll try.” I know sometimes it’s hard for him to leave early to get home for things, but it annoyed me that I had to bring it up. It’s a recurring argument that I feel I have to ask a ton of questions instead of him offering information specifically about scheduling. Anyway, fast forward to last night. My husband tells me on our nightly phone call he is going to stop on the way home Thursday (he drives and this week is 2.5 hrs away from home) in order to buy a truck. Context: he is starting his own business and has been searching for a good truck for a while. He found one near his worksite this week and had originally told me he was going to pick it up after work on Wednesday then drive it home on Thursday. So, I asked him what time he thought he would be home. He said a half hour later than he would if he wasn’t stopping, so (when pressed) 4:30/5. Then he changed the subject but I was hung up on this. I said “so wait, you would be home at like 4 otherwise? I thought you were getting the truck today?” The ice cream social is from 3:30-5:30. It seemed to me that he could leave work just a little early, but he was choosing not to. Even if he didn’t leave work a little early he could’ve made part of the ice cream social. As I am working this out out loud he starts getting really defensive. This is where I might be the asshole. I said “you get the same emails I do- I shouldn’t have had to even ask you if you were going to make it. And it seems like you have more wiggle room in your schedule than you led on.” I had assumed when he said he couldn’t make it it was because they were working late, but it was a matter of 30 min. He then says “I get a million emails every day, but thanks for making me feel like shit.” At this point I’m really annoyed and say I’m going to go. We don’t communicate at all until this afternoon (this is also abnormal as we always text goodnight and good morning) when he texts me today at noon and says he is in fact going to make the ice cream social. I’m happy for our son that he’ll be there, but I feel annoyed that I had to have this argument with him before he prioritized it and that I had to even bring it up to him to begin with. So, AITA for making him feel guilty?
Edited to add:
My husband is not leading a double life and he’s not cheating. Geesh.
He is trying to start his own business so he can be home more. It was mutually agreed upon and I temporarily gave up my work on Fridays so that he can pursue this on his days off. He’s tired, I’m tired. We’re all tired.
I still work part time from home but I am a SAHP. I honestly don’t think this is relevant and some of the women/SAHP bashing comments on here are wild! Also, we have another child- a 1.5 year old we recently adopted. Anyone who has had a toddler or adopted can vouch that this is a lot even if you’re not working.