My sister decided to raise her four children on her own. Her husband cheated on her with a colleague. Since then, the woman has not had any new relationships. The sister is an educated woman. She has three diplomas. One of them is a chef. As long as I remember her, she worked in various cafes and restaurants.
She always bought the kids everything. They were grateful, but always asked for more. Now they have grown up, created their own families. My sister still sends them money. She retired a long time ago, but continues to work. She says she likes to help the children. She sees that as the meaning of her life.
My sister got sick with the flu, and it quickly caused complications in her lungs. Severe pneumonia didn’t want to go away. The woman took sick leave, she barely had enough money. Her friends helped her, but her children called her mother only when she stopped sending money.
They asked about her well-being, wished her a speedy recovery, and that was it. No one asked about their mom’s financial situation. Her sister asked her children to come and see her. They refused. They all had jobs and families. They didn’t have time for their own mother.
The woman took offense. She had helped them all her life, and now when she needed them, they didn’t even want to come. She was in the hospital for a month. The nurse took care of all the medical expenses. She recovered. She went back to work. The kids didn’t call all that time. The relatives must have told them Mom was well. Only after Mom was discharged from the hospital did the children remember her again.
At first they asked how her health was, but quickly got to the point of their call. Everyone asked for money. Not even that. They called specific amounts and the date by which the funds needed to be transferred. All four did the same thing. They didn’t want to think about where the woman would get the money. They only cared about their needs.
The sister was upset. She had not expected such treatment from her own children. It was probably her own fault, but she felt sorry for herself. When you forget about your own life for the sake of others, you expect some kind of return. Maybe you shouldn’t have put your children before your own life. You should have thought about your future, but not your lonely old age. It’s impossible to change anything now.
