Passing down family heirloom from one generation to another isn’t just a tradition but a promise that one is never willing to break.
A woman shared a story of how this beautiful tradition turned ugly because of her new husband’s demand.
Asking whether she was right or wrong, she turned to Reddit and explained that there was this precious piece of jewelry, a green emerald necklace, that has been passed down to the eldest child of the family on their fourteenth birthday. This tradition existed for many years.
The 35-year-old woman further added that her daughter Emily would be turning 14 in January 2024, and that she has been planing to give the necklace to her, as she always wanted.
However, some two years ago, OP tied the knot to her husband Joey, who also has a daughter, Sophia, who’s around the same age as Emily.
One day, while discussing Christmas gifts, Joey mentioned something that made OP’s blood boil. He suggested that she give the necklace to Sophia and that it would mean a lot to his daughter because it would show that OP truly accepts Sophia as her own daughter.
The woman explained that Emily knew of the tradition and that she was already looking forward to the necklace, but Joey insisted.
What’s most, he called her self-centered and told her that if her daughter really wanted a necklace she could simply order one on Amazon for her.
Despite his constant insisting, OP said she won’t be giving the necklace to Sophia, but her husband got mad and gave her the silent treatment. He even shared what happened with his mother and sister who supported him and told him his wife was selfish and biased.
The woman asked fellow Redditors to give her advice, and as expected, most of them were in her favor.
“You’re not favoring one kid over another. Emily is your kid and the necklace is hers. Your [stepdaughter] is not entitled to anything. I would have told him that his daughter can get the knockoff from Amazon if it’s that important to him,” one user wrote.
They then added: “That being said, you need to put the necklace in a safe place like a box in the bank or something because trust me, as soon as Emily has it, it’s going to ‘disappear’ or be broken by ‘accident.’”
“It needs to be locked up in a safe place so that neither your [stepdaughter] nor your husband can get their hands on it. I would sit down with Emily and explain why you are doing so and that while you consider it hers, it’s best to keep it safe,” another person wrote.
A 13-year-old builds his own mini-house in his backyard, look inside and be impressed
Most middle schoolers probably have other things on their minds besides building houses.
But Luke Thill, a 13-year-old from Dubuque, Iowa, is unlike any other middle schooler you’ve seen before.
This talented and proactive boy has crafted his very own little house — in his parent’s backyard.
The project cost him roughly $1,500 USD — and now Luke is living his dream in his little cottage.
Come on in and have a look at what it looks like inside.
I think it’s safe to say that Luke is not like many of his 13-year-old peers. In a time of iPads, smartphones, gadgets, and X-Boxes, this young man decided to keep himself busy in a different and more ‘old-fashioned’ way. As he explains on his YouTube channel, his desire to build a small house grew out of feeling bored last summer.
After some thorough research, Luke had a pretty good idea of how he was going to put his plan into action.
The Process
It took him about a year to get the money and materials he needed to build the house. Luke mowed lawns, started a fund-raiser online, and ran errands for anyone who needed help in the neighborhood to make money.
An electrician Luke was friends with helped him install the electricity in exchange for Luke cleaning his garage out, for instance.
Luke used about 75 percent recycled material, many of which were things left over from his grandma’s house. The front door of the house was a gift from an uncle’s friend.
The 89-square-foot house is 10 feet long and 5 1/2 feet wide, with electricity but no plumbing, so no water or bathroom… yet.
“I liked the minimalism,” he told The Des Moines Register. “And I wanted to have a house without a huge mortgage.”
Luke has made several video clips and posted them online, where he talks about his project as many have grown curious about the little house.
As you can imagine, Luke also received some help from his parents, both financially and with the building itself.
But dad Greg made sure that it would be Luke himself who would pay for most of his project and also build most of it himself.
“It was a chance for a kid to do something more than play video games or sports,” Greg told The Des Moines Register. “It teaches life lessons.”
Teenager’s Dream
The house is in many ways a teenager’s dream, an oasis where you can chill and hang out in. It has a microwave, a TV, and a loft with a bed.
There’s even a barbecue and flowers at the back.
Luke usually does his homework after school at his new house and some nights during the week he gets to sleep there.
Luke already has aspirations to build another house — one that’s a little bigger for when he starts college. He also hopes to inspire others to follow their dreams:
“I want to show kids it’s possible to build at this age,” he says in one of his videos.
You can really see how proud he is about his project below.
Luke’s story is a great example of what a child can achieve with a clear goal, a strong worth ethic, and support from home.
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