AITA for Refusing to Let My Daughter-in-Law Take My Late Husband’s Wedding Ring?

I’m a widow in my 60s. My husband passed away 10 years ago, and I’ve kept his wedding ring in a little box with some of his things. It’s nothing fancy—just a plain gold band—but it’s one of the few things I still have that feels like him. Sometimes, when I miss him, I take it out and hold it. It’s been a real comfort over the years.

My daughter-in-law, Jenna, has always commented on the ring when she visits. She’ll say things like, ‘It’s so timeless,’ or, ‘I’d love to wear something with that kind of history.’ I thought she was just being nice, but last week, she came right out and asked if she could borrow it for a while. I didn’t really know how to respond at first. She said wearing it would help her feel closer to the family and honor my husband.

I told her I wasn’t comfortable with that. The ring is so personal to me. It’s not just something you loan out—it’s a part of my memories with him. But Jenna didn’t seem to understand. She got upset and said she didn’t think I trusted her and that I was being selfish for keeping something so meaningful to our family locked away. She even said it would mean more to her to wear it than for me to just keep it in a box.

My son didn’t really say much at the time, but later, I got a text from Jenna. It was long and emotional. She said she was hurt, that I was treating her like an outsider, and that maybe I was “too stuck in the past” to see how much this would mean to her. She even hinted that I was being controlling, which honestly broke my heart.

Now, some other family members are saying I’m overreacting, and that it’s just a ring, but it doesn’t feel that way to me. My husband and I were married for 35 years. That ring has been with me through everything—good times, bad times, raising our kids. I don’t want to sound dramatic, but it feels like a piece of him is still with me. I can’t imagine letting it out of my sight.

I’m starting to wonder if I’m being unreasonable, though. Jenna seems to think I’m trying to shut her out, and the last thing I want is to cause tension in the family. I don’t know if I should apologize or stick to my decision. AITA?