Redditor Gets In Trouble For Skipping Relative's Burial To Keep Their Follow-Up Dental Appointment

The ceremony was running late and they would have missed their appointment if they attended the burial.

Chelsi

• Published in Interesting
• June 11, 2024

A Redditor's dental health landed them in hot waters when they skipped a relative's funeral to keep their schedule. The funeral OP missed was for their husband's uncle.

The couple moved to a different town hours away from their hometown several years ago. However, they didn't change medical providers when they moved and kept to the ones in their hometown.

The distance forced OP to be intentional about their medical appointments. They only book appointments during their time off from work and family visits to their hometown.

OP and their husband had to go home unexpectedly to attend his uncle's funeral. It was scheduled for Friday, so OP booked a dental appointment for the day before to not waste the time off they took from work.

After OP's Thursday appointment, they were told they needed a follow-up procedure. The clinic was closed for the weekend, so OP grabbed the earliest Friday schedule available.

OP thought they could attend the burial, leave the luncheon early, and be at their appointment on time. OP's husband was on board with their plan.

They were all behind schedule that Friday. OP would miss their dental appointment if they attended the burial.

OP and their husband agreed they would drive to the cemetery together. They would drop their husband off to fulfill his pallbearer duties while OP went to their appointment.

Cars were blocked from leaving the cemetery, so OP called a friend who was on his way to the cemetery to ask if they could borrow his car to go to the dentist.

OP met their friend at the cemetery's entrance. They missed the burial but reached their appointment just in time.

OP thought they weren't missed, but the deceased's relative approached them at the luncheon.

The relative asked, "How are your teeth?" OP thought what they did was not a big deal but couldn't help but feel guilty after the remark.

OP received a mixture of reactions. The most upvoted comment judged that OP was the a**hole.

They also questioned why OP and their husband didn't change their providers. They have lived in their new place for several years.

Some Redditors said OP was fine. They only missed the burial part of the ceremony, which plenty of people, except for close family and friends, skipped anyway.

Another Redditor said that while they could relate to OP's decision-making, it was still an a**hole move not to reschedule a non-urgent dental appointment.

Simply put, it was disrespectful to skip a relative's funeral to keep an appointment that could have been delayed.

But Redditors also pointed out that OP's husband okayed their plans. OP's main role was to support their husband. If he said it was fine, why was it a big offense to Redditors?

They did encourage OP to find new medical providers. Something that is typically accomplished within six months of a move to a new city.

OP should ask locals about reputable doctors and clinics to handle their medical needs from now on.

It's like that scene from Friends where Ross still sees his pediatrician when he's sick. OP and their husband need to do the adult thing before an armchair psychologist, Redditor, suggests that they are holding onto a part of their childhood by refusing to switch to new medical providers in their new city.

It would be more convenient to find new doctors and clinics in their new town, especially since they have long hours at work. The consensus was OP was disrespectful, but they were not a bad person for missing a relative's burial.

Chelsi