- A woman’s grandma refused to visit her newborn after finding out the baby’s name.
- Her grandmother hung up on them when she heard the name and never reached out since.
- The woman wondered whether she was wrong for choosing a name her grandmother didn’t like.
A mother and child | Source: Pexels
A 27-year-old woman and her 31-year-old husband welcomed a daughter and couldn’t be happier. Their precious bundle of joy completed their lives, and they were excited for the rest of their family to meet her.
The woman’s family had a tradition wherein they’d get together once a baby born into their clan was about 2-3 months old. They announce the baby’s name during the event to add an element of surprise.
Hands holding a little baby | Source: Pexels
During the party, they always give gifts to the baby. The woman’s grandmother always gives a quilt with the baby’s name embroidered. For years, these kinds of parties went on smoothly. It was done for all of the woman’s sisters and cousins.
A family get-together | Source: Pexels
However, when it was their daughter’s turn, they didn’t realize that they had done something to make her grandmother so upset. The woman shared her story on Reddit, hoping to ask for opinions on whether she did something wrong.
The woman’s grandmother had a colorful history regarding her name. She was born “Lucille,” but at eight years old, she decided she wanted to be called Barbara.
A young girl | Source: Pexels
She introduced herself to everyone she met as Barbara. Eventually, her own family started calling her Barbara, and she had her name changed legally.
Ever since the woman was a child, she’d ask her grandmother why she had her name changed. Her grandmother always downplayed it and said she liked the name Barbara better.
Two women enjoying the outdoors | Source: Pexels
Meanwhile, the woman’s husband’s grandmother was an essential part of his upbringing. She raised him until she passed when he was 19. When she was still alive, she’d always watch “I Love Lucy” alongside her grandson. Her favorite celebrity of all time was Lucille Ball.
The woman’s husband misses his grandmother dearly and that he wanted to honor her in some way. While her name was Mary, they decided it was better to have that as their daughter’s second name.
A couple talking | Source: Pexels
So, the couple decided on Lucy. It was a name they both liked, and they felt it honored both the man’s grandmother and the woman’s as well.
One day, while the family was on FaceTime, they decided to announce their baby’s name. The woman’s relatives gushed and laughed, but her grandmother was dead silent.
A stunned woman | Source: Pexels
When the woman asked what was wrong, the grandmother firmly demanded to know why they decided to name the child Lucy. The woman was stunned.
She tried to explain why, but her grandmother wouldn’t have it — she hung up. Even after repeated attempts to explain, the woman’s calls remained unanswered.
An angry grandmother | Source: Pexels
The woman asked her siblings for help, and one of her sisters finally got a hold of their grandmother. She explained that their grandmother was offended and felt they were mocking her.
To make matters worse, their grandmother said she wouldn’t attend the baby’s party in a couple of weeks and would not give the child a quilt unless the couple apologized and changed their baby’s name.
A frustrated woman | Source: Pexels
The woman was stunned. She never thought her daughter’s name would cause drama and never expected her grandmother to react that way. “My grandma has always been kind. I have no idea what to do. Births in my family are always celebrated and happy events but this has ruined it,” the woman shared.
A newborn child | Source: Pexels
The woman wondered whether she was mean for choosing a name her grandmother didn’t like. People made sure to help her analyze the issue and advise her on what to do next.
It was clear to everyone that the grandmother had some unresolved childhood issues and, possibly, even trauma. However, they reminded the woman that it was not her fault.
“There’s trauma there that grandma isn’t sharing. But that’s her issue, not yours,” one user wrote. “Someone needs to visit grandma and make sure she’s ok,” another echoed.
People stressed that it wasn’t the woman’s job to mitigate her grandmother’s trauma. However, it was an equally responsible thing to do not to trigger her, which happened when she named her child Lucy.
What would you do if you were in the woman’s shoes? Do you think she should rename her daughter because of the grandmother’s trauma?
In another story, a grandmother refused to babysit her grandson, forcing her daughter to pay for daycare despite the limited funds she had as a single mother. Click here to find out why.