Shirley trusted her younger brother to look after their mother when she moved abroad. She believed he cared enough to ensure that she was always taken care of. But her life plans changed when she returned to visit her mother a year later.
Shirley was a 40-year-old who worked in the US as a nurse. She had moved from her hometown abroad for better opportunities. Before she moved, she lived with her aging mother who had no intentions of moving into an elderly home.
Shirley would fly back every year to visit her mother and younger brother. As the years passed, she noticed that her mother found it increasingly difficult to take care of herself, so she decided to have a private meeting with her younger brother, Alex, who had just graduated from university earlier that year.
“Mom needs someone to live with her full time. I can’t take her with me because I live with my son and husband in a small apartment,” she said.
Saddened by what her mother revealed, Shirley conversed with her husband in private. “I think we should take mom to come and live with us,” she said. Her husband wanted to take her with them, but he was worried about their financial situation.
“We can sell this house here and use that to get a bigger apartment,” Shirley suggested.
Worried that her brother would want a share of the money, she asked her mother in secret, and she agreed to move with them and sell the house without Alex knowing.
At the end of Shirley’s visit, she told Alex to no longer take care of their mother. “Our neighbor will come and take care of her every day until we can decide what to do with her,” Shirley said.
“Take her to an elderly home. She’ll be fine,” Alex replied.
Shirley was very disappointed in her younger brother, but she was sure that her plan would work. As soon as she and her family headed back to the US, she began the process of selling the house as quickly as possible.
Shirley stood at the airport waiting for her mother to land three months later. While preparing for her arrival, she and her husband and son received the proceeds of the sale and moved into a bigger apartment.
Shirley was relieved to have her mother live with her. She knew she would be able to take care of her, and her mother would not have to be lonely living by herself. She was grateful to spend time with her grandson and the rest of the family.
So what can we learn from this story?
Trust is earned, no matter the family relation. Shirley trusted her brother before she left to go abroad; Alex broke this by lying to her about taking care of their mother.
Family takes care of one another. Even though Shirley’s husband was worried about their financial situation, he agreed to take in his mother-in-law because it’s essential to take care of the elderly when they can no longer care for themselves.
Please share this story with your friends; it might inspire people to share their own stories or help someone else.
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