Celebrating our first grandchild’s 16th birthday was a milestone—for Cathryn and me.

On December 19, 2009, our first grandchild reached the age of 16. Born with a sunny disposition and an ever-present smile, Cathryn has been a source of pride and joy. 

Since our daughter’s family lives 10 hours away, we are rarely present to celebrate birthdays. Traditionally we send a gift card and then call and talk to the family member on their special day. For Cathryn’s 16th birthday we wanted to purchase a special gift card, not the Wal-Mart or Target card she usually requested. When she visited us for Thanksgiving, she made a list of stores where cool teen clothing could be purchased.

I was pleased to find one of those stores at a large mall in our city. As I entered the store, I felt an uneasiness with the lighting and volume of music, but I chalked it up to being an old MeeMaw. I approached the checkout counter where I asked a young man to help me select a gift card. His question, “For a male or female?” seemed strange, but I proudly answered, “For my granddaughter. She’s turning 16.”

The young man chose a gift card, placed it inside a card holder, and then slid the card holder into a sleeve with the name of the store on the front. I handed him my credit card, paid for the purchase, and put the receipt and card into a bag of other purchases I had made that day.

A few days before Cathryn’s birthday, I retrieved the gift card so it could be placed in her birthday card and mailed. To say I was shocked when I saw the gift card is an understatement. My husband describes my reaction more like a tsunami! We were both utterly speechless. On the card was a 30-something male, bare-chested, wearing only a pair of jeans that hung six inches below his navel. I was appalled, incredulous, and furious at myself (for not paying attention to my feelings) and the store.

The next day I returned to the store and asked for the manager. I showed her the card, explained the card was for a teen, and told her I felt the image on the card was inappropriate for a 16 year old. I requested a replacement card with only the name of the store on it and was told they did not make them. She offered a different card, but the one offered had a semi-nude male cuddling a female. I told her I felt it was also unacceptable and requested my money be refunded. She refused to refund my money and said gift cards were treated as final sales. I told her the receipt did not indicate final sales, asked for a refund, and was refused again.

I then asked the manager for contact information for their corporate offices and told her I was going report the incident to the Public Relations Office of the mall. The lady in the malls’s Public Relations Office was shocked when I showed her the card. I told her I felt the store was advertising inappropriately to their targeted customer, teenagers.

A few days later I called the corporate offices of the store. After telling my story to a customer service representative, I was transferred to a manager. Once again I expressed my opinion that their store was inappropriately using sex appeal to advertise to teenagers. The manager logged my complaint, but restated that gift cards were treated as final sales, and refused to refund my money. She then offered to send a gift card with only the name of the store on it.

When the envelope from the corporate office arrived, I assumed the matter was settled. . .until I looked at the gift card. The name of the store was on the card, but so was a bare-chested male and his female friend. Once again I called the corporate offices and told my story and voiced my dismay. This time, however, the representative did not transfer me to a manager, but informed me they could not guarantee what picture would be on the card. I reiterated what I had been told, and he repeated, “We cannot promise what will be on the gift card.”

I told him I had no recourse except to contact my credit card company and put the charge in dispute. I then called my credit card company and retold the entire story. All the while I was telling the story, the customer service person was gasping and saying, “Oh, my.” She indicated she did not know how the situation might turn out, but she would do everything in her power to expedite the refund. At the end of the conversation she said, “I want to commend you for standing up for your beliefs and morals.”

We live in a perverse, upside down world where wrong is made to seem right. Well, this MeeMaw does not accept that untruth sitting down. I refuse to be part of the moral slide being created in our culture. I may never receive a refund, but my family, friends, and granddaughter know without a doubt where I stand on this kind of blatant assault on the innocence of children. I want it said of me, “A good man [woman] leaves an inheritance for his [her] children’s children” (Proverbs 13:22). I have shared my story in many venues and will continue to express my feelings about the inappropriateness of this kind of advertising.

For information on how you can protect your children and grandchildren from the dangers of pornography, go to I Care...about Children.

Shirley Smith is assistant to the Adult Ministries International director and the proud grandmother of seven grandchildren.