Dad Backed for Giving Late Wife's Necklace to Daughter Despite Raging Son

Internet commenters were left shaking their heads after one father revealed how a piece of jewelry left behind by his late wife is tearing his household apart.

In a viral Reddit post published on r/AmITheA**hole, Redditor u/throwawayAdam4113 (otherwise referred to as the original poster, or OP) recounted the lineage of the precious family necklace and said his 15-year-old daughter will be next to wear it—much to the dismay of his 17-year-old son.

Titled, "[Am I the a**hole] for refusing to let my son have my daughter's necklace?" the post has received nearly 9,500 upvotes and 2,000 comments in the last 10 hours.

"My late wife passed away 6 years ago," OP began. "[She] inherited a necklace from her mother, her mother inherited it from her mother...it's a tradition in the family to pass this necklace down to the daughters."

Continuing to explain that his wife gave him the necklace to present to their daughter when she becomes an adult, OP said his current wife was the only other person who knew of this arrangement.

Until she told OP's son about it.

"She told Adam about it and he barged into my office the other day asking what his mom left for him," OP wrote. "He brought up the necklace [and] I explained the sentiment behind it and told him I'm planning on giving it to his sister.

"He demanded to have the necklace since [he] too is our child but I said it was gifted to his sister specifically," OP continued. "I told him it's his mom's wish and he should be respectful of it.

"He got enraged and called me and his mom sexist [a**holes] for agreeing on, let alone carrying on with this 'sexist bulls**t,'" OP added. "My wife says I should give it to him to keep the peace but I declined."

Losing a spouse and parent is devastating for families.

According to data published by Jewelry Keepsakes, an online outlet for memorial jewelry, approximately 29 percent of widowers and 7 percent of widows enter into a new union within a decade of their partner's death.

A new union, however, does not signify the end of a legacy. Widows and widowers are often responsible for ensuring the proper passing down of precious family heirlooms to children, other family members and equally-deserving loved ones.

Legacy.com, a global network of obituaries, reports that jewelry is the most common heirloom passed between generations and according to StyleCaster, there is good reason for that.

From the preservation of memories to monetary value, StyleCaster writer Chloe Castleberry said that jewelry is the perfect family heirloom, as well as the perfect gift for somebody mourning the loss of a loved one.

"Our loved ones unfortunately aren't going to be around forever," Castleberry wrote in an article published in April. "Luckily, we have ways of remembering them, whether it be our memories, old photographs, the names we choose to give...and of course, jewelry.

"Jewelry is something we'll actually wear if passed down," Castleberry added. "If you're wearing (or decide to pass down) a piece of jewelry to or from a family member, that piece will always hold some sentimental value."

On numerous occasions, OP stated his desire to preserve the sentimental value of his late wife's necklace, as well as his desire to respect her wishes for their daughter to receive the piece.

It was his son's rage and current wife's repeated meddling which threw the heirloom's procession off course. Throughout the comment section of the viral Reddit post, Redditors acknowledged their involvement and assured OP he was completely justified to keep a tight grip on the necklace.

"[Not the a**hole]," Redditor u/Brilliant_Button9388 wrote in the post's top comment, which has received more than 18,000 upvotes. "But your current wife is.

"She literally is asking you not to do something your late wife asked you to do," they said. "Did you ask her why she told Adam??"

"[Not the a**hole]," Redditor u/Educational_Race5679 chimed in, receiving nearly 4,000 upvotes. "But I would wonder the motives of your current wife. It really seems like she egged your son on. It seems weird."

Redditor u/non-diagetic-human, whose comment has received more than 8,000 upvotes, offered a similar response.

"It's not sexism it's a family tradition," they wrote. "Without some background info on the family dynamic I'd say you [have] some manipulators in the family who need to be told in no uncertain terms that their efforts will not work."

"If this tradition is a real problem for your son, then start a new tradition," Redditor u/KnoWanUKnow2 suggested, receiving nearly 5,000 upvotes. "Pass down something to him, like maybe your wedding ring from your first marriage."

Newsweek reached out to u/throwawayAdam4113 for comment.