My friend came to my birthday party without a gift and yes, I am upset!

[Anonymous]

I'm not 14 but 39 ! I don't need someone to reply in my name and lie about my age.

Going to a birthday party without a gift is just plain rude, that's it. I guess some people have been ill-bred and find it normal to go empty handed. This is not right at all !

OP, don't invite that person again to your birthday ... or come empty handed if she does invite you to hers, maybe she'll understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since you mention work, I assume you are an adult. I would never think to take a present for an adult's birthday celebration nor would I expect one. It's nice to have a reason to get together and celebrate, but that's enough.

+1

+2

+3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not 14 but 39 ! I don't need someone to reply in my name and lie about my age.

Going to a birthday party without a gift is just plain rude, that's it. I guess some people have been ill-bred and find it normal to go empty handed. This is not right at all !

OP, don't invite that person again to your birthday ... or come empty handed if she does invite you to hers, maybe she'll understand.

Yikes.

[Anonymous]

I used to have a friend like you.

[Anonymous]

So it's ill-bred to not show up to a dinner (not a party) for a 39 year old, but it's not ill-bred for the 39 year old to pout like a five year old?

[Anonymous]

I don't gift adults because they have parties!!! My best friend and I still exchange gifts, but no one else does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Had birthday party at a venue, invited 3 friends, paid everyone's entrance fee. Two brought gifts, the third is used to setups where everyone pays for the birthday person's food but brings no gift (we discussed that on a separate occasion). . However we ate at a place where you pay at the counter, so everyone paid for their own food. So the third guest ended up not giving any gift. I don't care about value of gift. But I feel like it was rude not giving anything at all. A card, flowers, a balloon, whatever.
I don't even have a question, I just need to vent. Thanks for listening.

A balloon? I'm 36 years old. If a friend brought a balloon out for my birthday in public I'd be annoyed. Who wants a balloon?!! Toddlers, that's who.

[Anonymous]

Holy crap. add me to the long list of people who would never think of taking a gift to a dinner/show related to a 39 year old's birthday. I haven't received a birthday gift like that for 20 years and I am around your age. Grow up already.

[Anonymous]

Open, I hope you opened the other two gifts in front of her and fanned all over them. Then looked at her awkwardly and then said, oh.....okay, I guess that's it. Thanks everyone for you gifts.

She probably already feels bad, so you did your job.

[Anonymous]

Let me guess, Barbie cake?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She gave up her time to spend time together to celebrate your birthday. If you can't appreciate that, you should probably reevaluate what kind of friend YOU are! Not everyone is into gifts, especially for an adult's birthday. And it sounds like she was planning to buy your meal. I would give her a pass.

Which means she viewed my party as an obligation, right?
i don't know, I don't attend parties I don't want to attend (unless it is work).

With how busy people are, most would view such an outing as an obligation, honey. Doesn't mean they did not have fun or don't love you. Your birthday party (btw, time to grow up and move beyond the me, me, me part of birthdays) was yet one more thing on their weekly to-do list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So it's ill-bred to not show up to a dinner (not a party) for a 39 year old, but it's not ill-bred for the 39 year old to pout like a five year old?

My 5yo didn't care that a friend didn't give a gift.

[Anonymous]

^^and I didn't/don't care either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it's ill-bred to not show up to a dinner (not a party) for a 39 year old, but it's not ill-bred for the 39 year old to pout like a five year old?

My 5yo didn't care that a friend didn't give a gift.

+1 let's not slander the five year olds by comparing them to OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She gave up her time to spend time together to celebrate your birthday. If you can't appreciate that, you should probably reevaluate what kind of friend YOU are! Not everyone is into gifts, especially for an adult's birthday. And it sounds like she was planning to buy your meal. I would give her a pass.

Which means she viewed my party as an obligation, right?
i don't know, I don't attend parties I don't want to attend (unless it is work).

Honey, you keep that attitude and you soon won't have any friends left to celebrate your birthday.