I have a neighbor with whom we have been communicating and being friends for many years. She has two children: Sergey and Victoria. She and her husband have been helping them all their lives, giving them a good education, investing a lot of money so that they would not need anything.
A few years ago, Marina was left alone. Her husband died of a heart attack. Now she lives on her pension alone. Although it would be more accurate to say that she is surviving. You understand that pensions are meager, so you have to save on everything to get through the month.
Her children know all about it. But they don’t help her at all. After their mother stopped helping them, they seem to have forgotten about the old lady. I even heard her asking them once:
- “You know how hard it is for me to cope. It would be nice if you could help me a little bit to pay the utility bills.
But there is no result from such conversations. Apparently, they pretended not to understand her or came up with reasons not to.
And I wish they had the money to help. Everyone around them can see that they are well off. They both drive their own cars. Serhii has his own business, and Viktoriia always boasts about her husband’s success. In general, we could help, but the old lady doesn’t ask for much.
I don’t know how you can treat your own mother like that. She has never been sorry for them, and they treat her so indifferently. They could at least bring her food from time to time.
My children have been taking care of me since I retired. They pay for my utilities and buy my medicine. I do not know what I would do if it were not for them. But, thank God, I won’t have to find out, because they are good children.
I know that Marina was a good mother. I was there when her children graduated from school. She always saved money, sacrificed something herself, but so that they could have new clothes and go on vacation with friends. And now? She used to borrow money from me, but now she has stopped. I guess she’s just ashamed.
In our time, young people respected their elders more. And there was no question of helping parents when they needed it. To take them everywhere, to provide for their lives. And now everyone has grown up ungrateful and greedy.
I don’t know how pensioners like my neighbor survive on the money the state pays them.
I told Marina long ago that she should save money for her old age, but she gave all her savings to her children. I helped her buy an apartment, gave her grandchildren gifts. And now she is left with nothing.
I feel sorry for her, but I don’t know how to help. I don’t want to interfere in their family and talk to the children. If they don’t want to help themselves, then no amount of talking will help.
What would you do in my place? How could I help?
