12 People Whose Gift Choices Created Massive Tension

I was 28. My husband was 29. We’d been married eight months. My MIL pulled me aside at my birthday dinner and pressed a paper bag into my hands.
“Don’t open it here,” she whispered. “Just take it.” I smiled and nodded, assuming it was a gift. Perfume, maybe.
I opened it later that night in the bathroom, and OMG, inside were birth control pills. A year’s supply. There was also a note, “I’m so not ready to be a grandmother.”

My now mother-in-law bought me a gift certificate to the beauty shop. It was slated to be for a haircut and eyebrow, chin, and upper-lip waxing.
Apparently, she kept track of it, because when I didn’t use it, she asked for it back. That was 26 years ago, and I’ve heard many times how “she didn’t mean anything” and “she really isn’t like that,” but it’s hard to believe any woman would think that was an appropriate gift to another woman.

My dad is very sick and elderly. He sits in his recliner all day and doesn’t walk anymore. He uses an ostomy bag, so he really only gets up to have a bowel movement or to go to bed. My mom has become his full-time caregiver.
I thought it would be really cool to get them a Bird Buddy video bird feeder so that Dad can watch the birds from his chair using his tablet. The cool thing about the Bird Buddy is that you get notifications when there is activity, it identifies the bird type, and you can share your feeder view with up to 10 people.
I was SO excited to get this for them. I even paid Amazon to wrap it, and I encouraged them to open the gift as soon as they received it. They received it last night, and this morning, my mother texted me and said they want to return it. She said Dad doesn’t want the bird feeder attracting squirrels and causing the dogs to bark.
I suggested they hang it out front. Nope, it will still attract squirrels and tear the feeder up. I initiated the return through Amazon and sent my mom the QR code so she could return it. I’ve been crying over this stupid gift because I was generally excited for them to get it.