Anniversaries are meant to honor love and commitment. But for one Reddit user, a second wedding anniversary became a painful reminder of unequal effort.
In her post, the 31-year-old wife described weeks of planning: “I spent weeks saving up to buy him a smartwatch he had been eyeing. I wrapped it nicely, cooked his favorite meal, and set up candles.”
Her husband’s gift? A $100 gift card to his favorite gaming store. “He laughed and said, ‘We can both use it, since you watch me play all the time.’” For her, the gesture stung.
“On our anniversary, my ‘gift’ was literally something for him,” she wrote. After expressing disappointment, she was told she was “being ungrateful.” She then left and spent the night at her sister’s.
The story struck a nerve with readers, who didn’t mince words.
One commenter summed it up: “That’s not a gift. That’s him buying himself something and trying to pass it off as for you.”
Others urged her to reconsider the long-term pattern this revealed. As one user put it: “The gift card isn’t the real issue, it’s the message behind it. If he sees anniversaries as ‘what’s convenient for me’ instead of ‘how can I show I value us,’ that’s a huge red flag long term.”
Several commenters even suggested turning the situation around, throwing out ideas such as buying herself something using the gift card or donating it to a children’s hospital.
Another user took it even further.
“Just go to the game store and give the card to some random kid,” said this person. “Really make their day. Or… if you really want to stick it to him… buy some plushies and throw them on the bed on his side. He will have to remove them every night to go to bed and be reminded of his bad behavior. Every. Single. Day.”
The original poster confirmed she hadn’t walked away empty-handed: “Oh I definitely kept the gift card no way was I leaving that behind.”
Expert weighs in
Diane Gottsman, a national etiquette expert at the Protocol School of Texas, told Fox News Digital that the real issue wasn’t the cost of the gift but the lack of thought.
“This woman, the wife, went to great lengths, thinking of her husband and making their anniversary special. He gave her a gift card [for] something he wanted to do, with little regard for what she would like.”
Gottsman noted that while the wife’s frustration was justified, her decision to leave mid-celebration might not have been the best move.
“While the wife was unhappy, and relayed the message to her husband, leaving the table and going to her sister’s may be seen as overkill,” she said.
Gottsman framed the moment as a potential turning point for the young marriage.
“They both need to work on their communication skills and attempt to have a serious conversation about thoughtful gestures and expectations,” said Gottsman. “Marriage is about working through issues, and this could be a good learning opportunity. The silent treatment and leaving are equally damaging, if not worse, to a relationship.”
She went on, “Ultimately, the post paints a picture of how anniversaries can symbolize more than presents. To hear it from the commenters, they’re often about thoughtfulness and recognition. A lopsided exchange could even signal deeper imbalances in respect and care.”
As one commenter bluntly put it, “Your husband knows who really ruined your anniversary. And it wasn’t you.”
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