Holidays often come with the expectation of thoughtful gestures and shared joy.
For one young woman, however, the excitement of Christmas morning was dampened by a pile of presents that didn’t match her interests — or her very specific wishlist.
Anyone who’s ever received a disappointing gift will want to read on for this story!
WIBTA for being disappointed in the gifts I received
I (20f) just spent my first Christmas back in my home country after being in the USA for the last year.
Around 1½–2 months ago, my family told me to make an Amazon wishlist.
She had a pretty modest request, so she was pretty sure her family would be able to deliver.
Initially, I only added one thing: a Blu-Ray of a movie that I really, really wanted.
At my family’s insistence, I added two more things — a shirt of one of my favorite bands and a color-by-number kit (I enjoy the really complicated ones).
So then came the big day.
Come Christmas day, the presents started flowing.
My family was all excited about theirs — stuff they had wished for or had on their wishlists, things related to hobbies they already enjoyed, or even items they had been planning to buy.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t say the same…
I got a backpack, a glove-scarf-hat set (which was gifted to me twice — the exact same set), a sweater I can really only wear during Christmas and that isn’t remotely my style, a 2,000-piece Lego cat set, and a box set of a manga I follow (which included books 8, 9, and 10).
She couldn’t help comparing her gifts to everyone else’s.
I felt sad.
After watching my uncle and his wife especially, they got so many thoughtful gifts, including a hard-to-find lamp and an Apple Watch.
Everyone else got things that related to their interests or were items they had wished for.
I didn’t. This hasn’t really happened before my time in the USA.
She tries to reason with herself why her family might have done this.
Sure, my gift last year wasn’t big — I get it, it’s expensive to ship between countries (and don’t I know it). But I would’ve thought they’d use the wishlist that they insisted I make.
All I really, really wanted was that Blu-Ray or the shirt.
She also went to her friends for advice.
When I sought guidance from my friends, one said I shouldn’t be so sad, suggesting that my family might just be saving it for another time.
Other friends said I was justified in feeling disappointed.
I’m just confused.
She’s not sure how she should have reacted.
While I regret saying “yes” when my family asked if I liked my gifts, I don’t think I’d be brave enough to say I was disappointed.
At the same time, the rest of the evening, I couldn’t help feeling down. Maybe they noticed, but I don’t know.
Honestly, I just feel forgotten because none of the gifts reflected my interests.
The gifts were fine, but at the end of the day, her family knew what she really wanted.
Sure, I follow the manga, and the box set is pretty, but it wasn’t something I wished for. The cat kit is nice too — I’ll probably spend a day or so building it — but it feels so pointless to have made that wishlist, only for it to be ignored.
So, Reddit, WIBTA for being disappointed in the gifts I received?
Sure, Christmas isn’t all about presents, but it’s hard to watch everyone else get good gifts when you’re disappointed in yours.
What did Reddit make of this?
Ultimately, it’s what she does with her emotions that will make or break things.
Unfortunately, learning how to handle disappointment with grace is a big part of life.
There are a few logical explanations that might make the recipient feel better about her gifts.
Maybe other factors got in the way of her perfect gift.
Gifts are meant to bring people closer together, but for this young woman, she was left wondering if her family even knew her at all.
She can only hope next year’s wishlist won’t get lost in translation.
If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.