I brought a store bought pie to Thanksgiving once and my aunt still brings it up 11 years later

Jason Moore · 2026-09-30T08:35:04.915424+00:00

Every family has that one relative who keeps score, and in my family it is my aunt Carol. Back in 2013 I was 24 and broke, working retail in Dayton, and I showed up to Thanksgiving with a $6 pie from the grocery store because I ran out of time to bake. Carol looked at that pie like I handed her a parking ticket, and for 11 years now she finds a way to mention it at every holiday dinner. Here is what I finally noticed last Christmas though. Nobody else in the family cares about the pie story at all. My cousins just want to eat and hang out. The only person keeping that grudge alive is Carol, and honestly I think she does it because it gives her something to say when the room goes quiet. So my small win is this, I stopped defending myself and just laugh and say yep that pie was $6 and it was delicious. The awkward pause that used to happen is gone now, and she is the one who looks weird. Has anyone else figured out that the best move with a scorekeeping relative is just to agree with them?

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I brought a store bought pie to Thanksgiving once and my aunt still brings it up 11 years later | Awkward Family Gatherings - Talk Freely