Wedding Gift from the Mother-in-Law: Better Nothing Than This!
Emily and James were getting married. The wedding was in full swing when the toastmaster announced it was time for gifts. First, the brides parents offered their congratulations, then came Jamess mother, Margaret Wilson, clutching a large, sky-blue-wrapped box.
“Wow! What on earth could be in there?” Emily whispered excitedly to James.
“No clue. Mums kept it completely hush-hush,” the groom replied, equally baffled.
They decided to wait until the next day to open the presents, once the wedding chaos had settled. Emily suggested starting with his mothers mysterious box. They untied the ribbon, lifted the lidand froze in shock.
For ages, Emily had noticed Jamess odd habit: he never took anything without asking, not even the smallest thing.
“Mind if I have the last chocolate?” hed ask hesitantly, eyeing the lone truffle in the bowl.
“Of course!” Emily would reply, bemused. “You didnt even need to ask.”
“Force of habit,” hed smile sheepishly, unwrapping it.
It took months before she understood why.
One day, James introduced her to his parentsMargaret and Henry Wilson. At first, his mother seemed pleasant, but the illusion shattered at dinner.
Each guest got a plate with two spoonfuls of mashed potatoes and a single, sad mini-sausage. James finished quickly and timidly asked for seconds.
“Always stuffing your face like a starved seagull! Cant ever fill you up, can we?” Margaret snapped, leaving Emily horrified.
When Henry asked for more, Margaret cheerfully piled his plate high. Emily kept eating, stunned by the obvious favouritism.
Later, while wedding planning, Margarets true colours blazed. Everything was “too expensive”the rings, the venue, the menu.
“All this fuss! Why not keep it simple?” she grumbled.
Eventually, Emily snapped.
“Well handle it ourselves!” she shot back. “Its our pounds, our choice!”
Offended, Margaret fell silenteven threatening to boycott the wedding.
Two days before the ceremony, Henry turned up unannounced.
“Son, give me a hand with the gift,” he said, leading James to the car.
Hed gone rogue and bought a washing machinejust to spite his prickly wife. Confession: theyd rowed because Margaret thought even a wedding gift for her own son was “extravagant.”
On the day, Margaret did show upin a posh dress, by taxi. She behaved, handed over the big box, then vanished into the crowd.
The next morning, Emily and James eagerly opened it. Excitement turned to dismay.
“Towels?” Emily muttered, pulling out the first one.
“And socks,” James sighed, holding up two pairs of fluffy wool ones. “Dad was right Mum just grabbed whatever was lying around. Hard to believe shes this tight. Honestly, no gift wouldve been kinder.”
But the saga wasnt over. Days later, Margaret rangto grill them on whod given what.
“Well? Spill! What did Emilys mum get you? And Uncle George? Her friends?” she prodded.
James refused to play along.
“Mum, thats none of your business. Emily and I are happy.”
Then he hung upwithout feeling guilty for the first time.
Lifes lesson? The size of a gift says nothing about the givers heart. But respect and love show in the little things. And sadly, Margaret had run fresh out of those.
