My niece, Pippa Green, had been begging for a baby buggy, and when I turned her down she rallied the whole family against me.
Kids seem to sprout legs overnight, and I didnt even notice when my little Tom was already toddling about, trying to catch up with his dad. We always tried to get the best for our firstborn, even if it meant putting our own wishes on the back burner.
We bought a sleek, compact buggy that folded neatly enough to slip into the boot of our Ford Fiesta. It served us faithfully, was looked after like a prized possession, and we kept it in pristine condition because, in our heads, we were planning to sell it one day.
Sure enough, the moment Tom outgrew it we listed the buggy on a local classifieds site. My husband, James, suggested a 30percent discount off the original price. I thought, Everyones a bit strapped for cash these days, so I went a step further: Lets halve the price itll sell faster, and well feel like good Samaritans.
A few hours after posting the advert, I got a call from a pleasant, chirpy girl who wanted to meet and see the buggy in person. I agreed, and half an hour later a knock sounded at the front door.
When I opened it, I froze in disbelief: standing on the doorstep was my niece, Pippa, whom we hadnt spoken to in two years after a silly argument over boys. I was thrilled to see her; Id been hunting for any excuse to patch things up.
Over a cup of tea she explained that she and her boyfriend, Mark, had a little son and were struggling to make ends meet.
After a frank chat we inspected the buggy together; Pippa liked it, so I offered to sell it to her for even less than the advertised price.
The next day I set about preparing a welcome dinner, cooking a proper roast and all the trimmings. We gathered round the table, swapped nostalgic stories and savoured the reunion.
When it came time to seal the deal, Pippa, clearly sensing my willingness to compromise, hinted that it would be lovely if I gifted her a buggy for the babys birthday. I told her straight away that I wasnt prepared to hand over such an expensive present.
She took offence, called me stingy, and stormed out, shouting. She then told her family it was all because of the baby, and they rallied behind her, which led to us cutting off contact with them as well.
That episode taught me that you cant please everyone, and Ive sworn off doing business with relatives from now on.
