Some people here criticize me for not getting along with my in-laws or even my own mother. But for some reason, nobody seems to understand that the problem isn't always with the children; it's about how parents treat them. My mother and I have always had a strained relationship because she believes I ruined her life. My husband's relationship with his parents is just as bad because they openly favor his older sister and don't even try to hide it.
Anyway, this story isn't about me. I have a childhood friend, Sarah, whom I've always been very close with. Her mother, Linda, always seemed like the perfect parent to me. She never put Sarah down and supported her through everything, even when Sarah ended up as a single mom with two kids.
But recently, Linda started making these completely unreasonable demands. It all started because she wanted to help her middle daughter, Megan, with some money. Sarah is the youngest. Linda proposed that Sarah use her government housing subsidy to "buy" the family house from her, so the cash could go to Megan. On the surface, Sarah was all for it and happy to help, but there's a major issue with the property deed and the paperwork. Sarah tried to explain that they had to get the documentation in order first, otherwise the bank and the housing authority would never approve the transfer. Linda just wouldn't listen. She started screaming at Sarah, accusing her of being stingy with the money and refusing to help her own sister.
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It only got worse from there. A few days ago, Linda showed up and kicked her out. "Pack up your kids and get out of my house right now," she told her. Sarah was in total shock. She tried to talk to her, to explain the situation again, and reiterated that she was willing to buy the place once the papers were right, but it was no use. She packed her things and left with her daughters. Thank God she had a place to go—some friends had an empty rental property they let her move into. Otherwise, what would she have done? She makes maybe two thousand a month working at the hospital; she can't afford market-rate rent on that.
Her mom doesn't care. She won't answer the phone, and she refused to speak to Sarah when she drove over there. Then, a couple of days ago, they saw a listing online. Linda had put the house up for sale herself, even though the paperwork still isn't cleared.
The most heartbreaking part is that Sarah used to have her own place. She had a small studio apartment, but Linda talked her into selling it to fund a massive renovation on the family home. Linda promised her that, in exchange, she would sign the house over to her. Now, Sarah has no apartment and no house. Meanwhile, Linda provided homes for both of her older children completely free of charge.
How are you supposed to maintain a good relationship with parents after something like that? They just don't listen, and they refuse to understand their own children. It's such a mess—just a total disappointment in the older generation.
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