A Redditor took to the forum and asked, “Am I wrong for not ending my vacation early and rushing home for the birth of our grandchild?”
Backstory
The original Poster (OP) is a 52-year-old man.
OP and his wife were on a two-week vacation in Cancun, Mexico. They are from the U.S. and planned all year for this trip, and they saved up money to be able to go on this trip.
They booked and paid for the journey before OP’s daughter was pregnant.
It was their 6th day there when their 26-year-old daughter’s boyfriend called them, saying that she was giving birth and that OP and his wife had to take the next plane ride home.
OP and his wife knew their daughter was soon to pop, but her due date was at the end of the month, and the event took place at the beginning of the month.
What Happened Next?
OP told him they couldn’t come immediately and asked him to follow their birthing plan and update them. A few hours later, they received a call from their daughter with an update, and she wondered when they would be on their way back.
She expressed that she wanted them to be there and that it was taking longer than expected, and she was scared. As a first-time mom, it is evident for her to feel afraid.
OP and his wife assured her everything would be fine, but they could not pack up and go immediately. Their daughter got upset and hung up on them.
Hours later, in the middle of the night, they missed a call from their daughter’s boyfriend as they were sleeping, and OP’s daughter’s boyfriend informed them that there were complications and an emergency c-section was being performed.
The following day, they called their daughter immediately, and she told them that she was scared and that things could have gone wrong. She also accused them of prioritizing their Cancun trip over her and hung up. They tried to call back, but she wouldn’t answer.
The baby was born healthy, and OP’s daughter was okay.
OP and his wife only saw pictures of our grandchild through Facebook because their daughter didn’t let them see her and barely spoke to them since they had been back home. OP and his wife had planned to be there for their grandchild’s birth, but they needed to leave six days into a trip they had spent money on.
Even if they did, they would have to miss the time. Even if they did make it back, they couldn’t do anything the doctors couldn’t do in the situation. OP felt as though their daughter was being too harsh on them. OP and his wife apologized many times.
Is OP a jerk in this situation?
What Do Redditors Have To Say?
Redditors say, “he is not a jerk.”
“No, you are not wrong – you can’t just rush home from another country, and if you had, same-day tickets would have been astronomical. Your daughter is mad, but it was a no-win situation. You planned the trip away, and you could not just rush home because traveling from another country doesn’t work that way. Also, there are still covid procedures in place, so chances are the nurses would have sent you home.” said one.
“I say OP is not wrong. They definitely wouldn’t have made it home in time, and since they were abroad, they should have quarantined before they saw the baby anyway. Would they even have been allowed in the hospital in those circumstances? ” Nothing they could have done for her except worry.” said another.
Should OP have returned from his trip as his daughter demanded, or was he right in not returning? What would you do in this situation?
This article was originally published on Mrs. Daaku Studio.