When my granddaughter Sarah shared her wedding plans, my husband Jim and I were thrilled. We eagerly began discussing how we could help make her big day special. However, our excitement quickly turned to shock when a letter arrived from Sarah a few days later.

The letter contained a $5,000 quotation for a vacation she wanted with her fiancé, along with a note that stung deeply: “I want a vacation with my fiancé on my birthday this year. Pay for it. I hope you saved up enough after years of cheap trash gifts for me.”

This request was a harsh blow, given all we had done for Sarah over the years. We’re not wealthy, but we’ve always tried to support her as much as we could. We’ve given her handmade quilts, heirloom jewelry, and even helped with a down payment for her car and college expenses. We thought these gifts meant something to her.

Sitting at our kitchen table, the letter in front of us, I was overwhelmed with a mix of anger and hurt. “Can you believe this?” I asked Jim, struggling to hold back tears. “After everything we’ve done for her?”