We like to believe that those we love never truly leave us.
Even if they are no longer living on this earth.
But what about those whom we don't miss terribly?
In that case, we tend to try and think of them as little as possible.
Even going so far as to rid ourselves of any mementos or keepsakes we may have of them.
Redditor Individual-Party1072 and their roommate had a falling out.
Resulting in the original poster (OP) all but completely losing contact with her.
However, the OP's former roommate left behind a fairly significant personal belonging,
A belonging the OP wanted off her hands.
Wondering if they would be in the wrong for disposing of it, the OP took to the subReddit "Am I The A**hole" (AITA), where they asked fellow Redditors:
"AITA If I throw away someone's remains if no one in his family wants his ashes?"
The OP explained their delicate situation:
"Long story short, roommate & I shared an apartment from 2018-2022."
"She was separated from her husband when he died 2021."
"He was cremated, ashes were mailed to her."
"She kept him in a box in a closet in the laundry room."
"2022 she bought an RV & moved to Brenham to be near her daughter & grandchildren."
"She asked me to hold on to the ashes & a few other things, pics, clothing I agreed."
"She couldn't be near the ashes, they set her on edge & just rattled her."
"We had a falling out over money, more than 5K."
"I haven't heard from her since September 2024."
"I know she has some serious health issues she is dealing with, I really don't want to talk to her, so my feelings aren't hurt."
"I reached out this his son in Feb 2025 about his father's ashes on messenger."
"He responded, but has made no effort to retrieve the ashes either."
"Did I mention she also basically walked from her youngest son that she left living in an RV in my backyard?"
"What was supposed to be a short term favor has turned into 3 yrs of her 40-something schizophrenic bipolar w/audio hallucinations living on my 6 acres."
"I would give him the ashes, but I don't think he would handle it well at all & I don't know what kind of episode it could trigger. He took the death badly as his whole world as he knew it ended."
"He's never lived on his own & he is not doing a very good job at it."
"I threatened in February if no one made arrangements to come get these ashes I'm putting them in the dumpster."
"AITA if I do?"
Fellow Redditors weighed in on where they believed the OP fell in this particular situation, by declaring:
- NTA: Not the A**hole
- YTA: You're the A**hole
- ESH: Everybody Sucks Here
- NAH: No A**holes Here
The Reddit community largely agreed that the OP would not be the a**hole for getting the ashes of their former roommate off their hands.
However, they also urged the OP not to dispose of the ashes completely but to send them either to their former roommate or her son, whether they asked for the ashes or not:
"NTA."
"It sounds like you have done everything that you can do to contact the family and try to get the cremains to someone that can be responsible for them."
"If no one in the family seems to care either way, there isn't much left."
"HOWEVER, I would recommend you think about this first."
"Regardless of who this man was to you (or not to you, as you have shared), he is a human being that has passed on."
"If you didn't have any family or someone that cared enough about you and your remains, would you want to end up in a landfill?"
"My recommendation is that you reach out to each of the family members by certified post one more time (just in case later it comes up into a legal issue and you are accused of disposing of him without permission)."
"After that, if there is no interest or response in what the disposition of the ashes should be, then go somewhere beautiful and spread the ashes there - under a tree in the forest, in the ocean, etc."
"Just make sure that there aren't any ordinances or restrictions on doing so."
"You might want to contact a few of the funeral homes around you and ask their recommendations on places to do this - I am sure they probably have the knowledge to let you know what is or is not permissible."
"The point is, give the poor deceased man his dignity and a nice place to spend eternity - even if you didn't know him."
"Good luck!"- ATLBrysco
"I would reach out to his son, say 'listen, do you want these ashes or do you want me to spread them somewhere nice and send you a photo of the place?'"
"If he doesn't respond, you're fine to do whatever you want."
"As for the son living in your backyard, if there's such a thing as Adult Protective Services where you live, I would call them."
"NTA."- Libba_Loo
"You're NTA for wanting the ashes out of your house- but you would be if you dumped them in the bin."
"If you have 6 acres, is there somewhere you can bury the ashes on your property?"
"And mark the place with a plant or a rock or a garden ornament of your choosing?"
"I say bury, not spread, because then if anyone ever did want to claim them you can tell them where to dig (I assume they are currently in a container of some sort)."
"I highly doubt anyone would come back for them after all this time, but this way you're covered if it does happen, and either way the ashes are out of your house."
"Good luck."- Final-Call
"NTA."
"But a woman was put in prison for throwing ashes out!"
"I would ask a funeral home first."
"They are human remains!"- Slow_Obligation619
"NTA, but how about the daughter you mention in the text?"
"Did you reach out to her or did she have another father?"
"I think you should treat the ashes with respect, even if you had no connection to this person, it's the decent thing to do. If no family wants it, you could spread the ashes somewhere nice, maybe in the ocean or in the woods if the regulations in your country admits to it."- Jackonelli
"I personally couldn't bring myself to throw them out."
"I would reach out to the older, real estate son and ask for an address."
"Then I would mail them to him."
"NTA but man."- Potential_Ad_1397
"NTA for wanting to get rid of them, but is there a brother or sister that would maybe like the ashes or some other relative?"
"I would try that first, this was someone so you would be an AH for throwing them in the garbage."- cindy3003
"NTA."
"Contact the local police department and report that a former roommate has abandoned her husband's ashes/remains, and you'd like to turn them into someone official so they can be disposed of legally."
"Also, call APS and speak to them about the son in the RV."
"Let them know he isn't being looked after, what his issues are, and that he's taking the death of his father and the abandonment of his family towards him hard so you're concerned for his well-being."
"They should send someone out to see him for a wellness check and to help get him in touch with services to keep him going."- MaskedCrocheter
Some, however, made it abundantly clear that the OP would definitely be the a**hole for dumping the ashes without consulting with her former roommate or her son:
"YTA if you put the ashes of a human person in a dumpster."
"Seriously?"
"You think that's okay?"
"Sprinkle them in a park or a lake or sneak them into an old cemetery."
"Drop them off at a church and explain that you don't want them but you've realized that only a monster throws a human being in a dumpster."- unlovelyladybartleby
"YWBTA."
"Because completely independent of the situation itself, there are simply better alternatives to throwing human remains in a dumpster."
"If you've completely run out of options for returning the remains to the family, like just mailing them to the realtor's son's address (whether he wants them or not), then you can still scatter them somewhere that could be visited in the future and offer a moment of silence."
"This won't cost you anything and is a far less tragic resting place that won't haunt your conscience or cause the family additional trauma should they ever wonder where his remains ended up or want to visit them."
"It's just the decent thing to do."- Miscellaneousthinker
It's understandable that the OP doesn't want to hold on to the ashes of someone who meant nothing to her, and apparently meant nothing to the deceased family.
Even so, as the ashes are not really the OP's to dispose of, they should probably look for alternative solutions.
Which, at the very least, would make the ashes someone else's problem.
And hopefully, it wouldn't destroy the dignity of the deceased.
Woman Asks If It's Wrong To Hold Grudge After Mom Told Her When She 8 Years Old That She Wished She'd Aborted Her
While some people view having and raising children as the greatest blessing, some parents hold their children's existence against them for their entire lives.
And when they feel that way about their children, they're unfortunately typically pretty honest about it, cringed the members of the "Am I Overreacting?" (AIO) subReddit.
Redditor heavelymango knew from the time she was young that her mother did not really like her and significantly favored her sister.
But when her mother told her at the age of eight that she wished she had aborted her, the Original Poster (OP) held on to that grudge for years after the fact.
She asked the sub:
The OP had a grudge against her mother.
"I (22 Female) have been holding onto a grudge due to something my mom told me when I was roughly eight or nine years old."
"Growing up, I was a rebellious kid and always felt as if my mom favored my older sister. My sister would always get whatever she wanted."
"I know she was born with Down syndrome and always needed more attention and care, but if my sister wanted my tablet, for example, she would have it for the whole day while mine was limited to 30 minutes so she could have it."
"As a kid, I lashed out more because of this. She could take all of my things, but I could never use hers."
During a heated moment, the OP's mother said something unforgivable.
"Eventually, this led to an argument with my mom. I don't recall the whole thing, but it was related to my sister and how I felt my mom didn't care about me or give me the same amount of attention."
"The fight got heated, and I probably told my mom that I hated my sister and her."
"I remember she said back, 'I never wanted you from the start. I knew I should've aborted you when I had the chance.'"
" I didn't know what aborted meant at the time, and I remember I looked it up, and it made me cry. I never forgot it, and it lingers in my mind whenever I am home."
The OP's mother pressured her to "let it go" and move on.
"Even growing up, I still brought it up, and she would get mad, saying I need to let it go and how I'm stubborn for not just forgetting what she said."
"There was even a time in high school when she took me to a therapist, and she complained about how I never dropped what she said."
"She says I need to move on from it because it has affected my relationship with her, and she wants to fix it."
"I know I'm older now and it was so long ago, but it still hurts, and I feel like it's made me not want to have her in my life in the future, and I have told this to her."
"How I don't want her in my life once I move out, get married, or have my own kids."
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
Some reassured the OP that this sounded like a core memory more than a grudge.
"The axe forgets. The tree remembers."
"It sounds less like you're holding a grudge and more that this is a formative, core memory for you."
"It won't stop being a core memory (unless maybe with the help of a lot of therapy). Has your mom ever apologized for saying that? Because you don't have to forget to forgive, but if she's not remorseful for saying that terrible thing to her young child (not just remorseful that you remember it), then she probably needs therapy (or is a narcissist/sociopath/similar)."
"You are certainly not obligated to 'get over it.'" - Hot-Can3615
"This is not a 'grudge'; it is pain that is still felt to such a degree. If she said it, then she was thinking it. She'll probably never apologize, but that doesn't mean your pain is or was invalid." - Fast_Register_9480
"NOR. This kind of thing needs a real apology. Like she needs to acknowledge the damage and genuinely care about it. Brushing it off won’t make it go away." - TentacleWolverine
"NOR. Did she really want to fix things? She basically just told you to get over it from the start instead of giving you a sincere apology."
"That isn't working on anything. She wants you to get over it so she can pretend that she never said it, so she doesn't have to feel bad about what she did. It doesn't sound like she cares much about how you feel."
"She just doesn't want to deal with it. For that reason, I would still have issues with what she said." - Chemical-Ad6809
"If your relationship with your mother is being affected by the actions of your mother, your mother is responsible for fixing it."
"You should know you probably aren't ever going to get closure, but you don't have to swallow it down. It helps to be the person you needed when you were younger out loud to yourself, but especially to others."
"For example: My name is Liz, and my mom told me to go ahead and do it already and save us all the heartache when I finally had the courage to tell her about how much I've been struggling with self-harm and suicidal ideation. I'm never going to forgive her for that, and we have never been close as a result of her actions."
"You aren't holding onto a grudge; you have a core memory of your mother distilling her feelings into a world-shattering sentence."
"You did not have a secure attachment before and can't have one now because of the deep trauma. You do not apologize for being stabbed."
"Find another therapist. I mean it. Someone who cares about your well-being wouldn't force you to apologize for being verbally abused as a child. I'm 29 now, and I lived through it. I still struggle with suicidal ideation daily, but once I stopped relying on my mom and unstable sources for support, my life got better immediately."
"You want things for comfort and familiarity. Don't let your mom or your therapist gaslight you into crossing a boundary."
"It might help to ask for a written five-part apology from your mom. 1. Acknowledge what you did 2. Say why it was wrong 3. Promise not to do it again 4. Ask how to make amends. 5. Share your feelings at this time if there's anything you'd like to say."
"My mom can be a good person and a bad mom and role model. Being in your own company is so much better than poor company." - PotLuckyPodcast
Others hoped the OP would go no contact with her mother sooner rather than later.
"NOR. It’s emotional abuse. And you do not owe her closeness after that, especially as she refuses to be accountable for that and try to make it up to you."
"She knows you have her number, and she can’t forgive you for knowing what a colloidal b***h she is."
"It’s unlikely that will change; it will at least be turned back on you with her the victim."
"Stop expecting her to apologize. If she doesn’t pay your bills, ghost her." - SnooCheesecakes2723
"My mom said something similar. My brother and I were adopted, and when I was a teen, in front of a church lady, she said, 'We didn't even really want you, but the people didn't want to split y'all up, so we just took you, too.'"
"Me and the church lady were shook. When I say my falbbers were ghasted. Like huh? She didn't remember saying that when I brought it up years after the fact."
"I also got grounded two times for two separate nine weeks (for C's on my report card) and a three and a half to four months (for smoking at 16 and getting caught because she liked to just pop up out of nowhere), and we just had a talk about that, and she didn't even remember."
"She said, 'No, I didn't. I never grounded you for that long,' and when I gave my rebuttal, she said, 'Well, if I did, it definitely wasn't for no nine weeks or months,' and this started because she was praising me for reading so much and liking books. I said, 'Well, when you were grounded like me, that's all I could do (no TV, no friends outside of school, no music, nothing but my room and books)."
"There's a reason I only call or answer her calls once or twice every few weeks. And I only call to get food, really..." - ManicalMoe
"‘Fine, I'm sorry’ is not an apology."
"Whilst I’m sure it was said in anger, most things said in anger have a grain of truth. There are also some things that no half-decent parent ever says to their children, no matter how angry they are, and this is one of them! It also sounds like she has made repeated similar comments of not wanting you as her child."
"I understand her eldest had a disability, but this is no excuse for neglecting and emotionally abusing her younger child. Lots of families deal with a child with additional needs whilst still managing to prioritise their other kids. Children with Down syndrome are capable of understanding ‘that’s your sister's, not yours; give it back’ !! It sounds like your mum has mental health issues?"
"Do you have a present father or other family you can turn to?"
"Protect your peace. Your mum has hurt you time and time again, honestly, for no real gain other than momentarily satisfying her anger. You owe this woman nothing." - Background_Term9810
"I went through something similar. When I was a little girl, my mother used to make comments that implied she didn't want me, though it was never that explicit. 'I only had you because your brother wanted a sister,' and 'My figure never recovered after you; after your brother, it did.'"
"Each comment stayed with me, but I never addressed it with her. I tried to move on and leave it in the past. She did a lot of horrible things throughout my life, but her behavior was always ignored because that's the precedent my dad set, where she can do essentially whatever she wants."
"A few months ago, she came to see me because I was desperate for help and sick. Instead of helping, she made my life so much worse. I won't go into details. At one point, I could no longer keep it inside, and I told her that she is a narcissist, to which she responded with, 'It would have been better if I had never had you.'"
"In some ways, it felt really good to hear her come out and say it. It felt good to hear the truth I've always known."
"I don't know what you should do, but I've chosen to not forgive."
"Every time I forgave, I just let her know that she can get away with whatever horrible things she had done. Her apologies were never real apologies. She always found ways to blame me or others for whatever she had done."
"And I'm truly just done with it. As sad as it is to not have a mom, it's sadder to pretend that you have one when in reality you don't... quite the opposite, if anything." - Neos_Mom
"So, OP, what will hurt more: keeping her and the grudge in your life or making a break and going low or no contact with her?"
"Frankly, we've no idea of what she might have been dealing with at the time, but regardless, what she said was said only to cause pain and suffering. 'Sorry' doesn't magic that intent away."
"Me, I think spending time alone or with friends or in therapy away from her might be what you need here. You might come to some sort of acceptance, but if this is something that's just going to keep coming between you, then stop trying to have that relationship." - Tal_Tos_72
After the OP received feedback, she shared a few clarifications from her original post.
"I wanted to clear some things up, take accountability where it's due, and provide some much-needed context from many people commenting the same questions."
"I want to be completely honest. We had many arguments, and I was a rebellious kid. I acted out and argued with my mom."
"I don't want to give off the impression that I was an entirely innocent kid who never did anything wrong and my mom just snapped out of nowhere. We both said hateful and hurtful things to each other during our fights."
"Growing up, the only way she would accept an apology was if I got on my knees and begged her for forgiveness. If I ever asked her to apologize to me, she would say, 'I have nothing to apologize for; you should be the one begging for my forgiveness.'"
The OP had a lot of physical memories, too.
"Things also would turn into physical arguments, not just verbal ones."
"There were times when she would get so angry she would get physical. Like yanking me by my hair, twisting my arms, or throwing things at me (like remotes, a bug spray can, or a radio)."
"When she yanked my hair, I would fight back just to get her to let me go, and she would scream that I was trying to kill her and she would get me arrested. When she twisted my arm, and I begged her to stop because it felt like it was going to break, she would say she hoped it did."
"When she threw objects at me, she would say she wished they would hit my face."
"I remember in middle school, during an argument, she said she wished she could break my face and that she hated it because I look like my dad. I won’t lie, whenever she said things like that, I would say nasty comments about how she chose to have him put us in her."
While the OP wasn't financially ready to move out yet, she hoped to as soon as possible.
"Why haven't I moved out yet? The main reason I haven't been able to move out is financial."
"I wasn't making enough to support myself without worrying about whether I’d end up having to crawl back home."
"Thankfully, I have recently found a better-paying job. My plan is to move out between mid-to-late October, or early November at the latest."
"The only reason I can't leave this exact second is because I have a few legal/administrative things to get cleared up so I’m completely untied from my mom, which will take a few weeks."
The OP also had proof that her mother liked her sister better.
"Has my mom ever admitted to favoring my sister? Yes."
"In arguments, she has explicitly told me that she doesn't see me as her legitimate daughter, and that she adored my sister more and forever will. She has also called me a 'monster,' told me there is a certain type of evil inside of me, and said she was afraid I would be just like my dad and try to harm them."
"She would even tell me that she was telling family and friends these things about me, but then later claim she 'just said it in the moment' and wouldn't be crazy enough to actually tell people that."
"Because I was so confused growing up and didn't know if she was lying or telling the truth, I started avoiding our family when they came over."
"Naturally, that just made things worse because she would get mad at me for avoiding them (even now as an adult), completely ignoring the fact that she was the one who lied about what she told them."
Unfortunately, the OP didn't have support from her father.
"What about my dad? My dad is not in my life."
"He was around sporadically, but never as a stable parent. My parents separated before I was born and divorced when I was two or three."
"Growing up, it was just constant back-and-forth toxicity, with him telling me how toxic my mother was, and her telling me the same about him."
"He would mostly only come over to see my sister, and often used me to care for her if he wanted to take her out to eat. Ultimately, my dad didn't care about anyone else other than my sister (and his drugs)."
"I hope this can clear some questions on the original post. I know I didn't provide many details as I originally should have. I honestly didn't want to post something too long, and I honestly did not expect it to be noticed."
"Thank you all for taking time to talk to me and share your thoughts."
The subReddit fully sided with the OP, pointing out that no matter how heated the moment was, it would never excuse the terrible things the OP's mother had said to her.
If the OP's mother really wanted a relationship with her, she'd drop the defensiveness and demands, offer a genuine apology, and work hard to be better for both of her children.
That takes a very rare kind of person to pull off, and it didn't sound like the OP's mother had that in her.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://findahelpline.com/i/iasp