Three years ago, in 2020, many of us experienced substantial changes as we learned to adapt to the new standard following COVID-19. Many had to deal with homeschooling and hybrid employment circumstances, which caused a great deal of stress. This couple, for example, suffered considerably in 2020 when the wife was forced to leave her job to homeschool their three children, resulting in the family losing a significant portion of their income.
Prior to this, the couple relied on their combined wages to fund their basic living expenses such as rent and utilities. However, once the wife quit her job to care for their children, the family of five could no longer afford to live in their home. As a result, they requested to remain with the husband’s mother temporarily while they worked on resolving their financial issues.
The mother first consented to allow her family stay in two bedrooms of her home, but she later withdrew the offer after learning that they had been evicted and had no where to dwell. The couple, who were suddenly destitute, were desperate as they looked for homeless shelters that could house them and their children. This became challenging because many other families became homeless as a result of the outbreak.
This family spent four months living in their vehicle. They eventually found a spot at a homeless shelter, but the mother-in-law remained distant, causing her relationship with the husband and wife to deteriorate. Given the precarious position, the husband and wife couldn’t help but feel bitter against their mother-in-law, who could have chosen to assist them in their hour of need.
To make matters worse, the husband’s sister made them feel uncomfortable when they asked to shower at her house, despite their willingness to pay. “We were treated as if we were undesirables, simply because we were over 30, had three kids, and were struggling,” she added. She was incredibly upset and hurt that her sister-in-law could treat them so badly, especially since she had received the house from her late father and had evaded paying taxes for half a decade.
The couple was resolved not to allow their bad situation get the best of them, so they worked hard to provide a better life for their three young children.The couple turned their life around. They eventually got a fresh start by building a new home from scratch. Both husband and wife found regular employment and developed their own businesses to supplement their income. These steps will hopefully keep them from being homeless again.
Going from living in their van to having solid money made the husband and wife quite proud of themselves, especially since they had accomplished it all without the assistance of their relatives. However, as the saying goes, what goes around comes around. When the mother-in-law knocked on the door of her son and daughter-in-law’s new house, life threw her a curveball. However, they had not forgotten how she had treated them.
The mother-in-law pleaded for assistance. The mother-in-law was in a difficult situation; she was about to be evicted from her home due to reduced job hours and a lack of retirement benefits. She had received both a notice of lease termination and two eviction letters. She felt desperate and approached her son and daughter-in-law, asking if she could remain with them. The wife recounted, “She came here yesterday afternoon and asked us if she could stay here.”
Despite the sadness of the situation, the wife couldn’t help but think it was hilarious that the same woman who had turned them away when they were destitute was now asking for aid. “There’s no chance of that happening,” she reportedly informed her mother-in-law, who was angered by her reaction. The woman sought to her son for support, but he took his wife’s side and refused to assist; he, too, had grown resentful since his mother had allowed her grandkids to live in a van for four months.
She had given them a place to stay, but when the time came, she left her family. The mother-in-law left their home in tears, noting that the two instances were “entirely different.” She hurried to her daughter and informed her what had happened, and it wasn’t long before the daughter called her brother to chastise him for failing to help their mother.
While it’s unclear why the daughter couldn’t have her own mother stay with her, the husband and wife refused to accept the mother’s request, recommending that she go to a nursing home instead. When their friends found out what had happened, they thought their decision was harsh, but people on the internet are supporting the couple!
“Let SIL deal with Mommy Dearest. “Seems a fitting end for them all,” one individual wrote on Facebook. “If your husband agrees with you, it’s not mean. She decided not to aid you. “SIL can take her in,” said another commenter.