When his mother asked him to help her
the son replied: “I don’t owe you anything!”
Susan’s 15-year-old washing machine broke, and with a new one arriving soon, she needed help moving the old one. She called her son Ben, but his wife Olivia answered coldly, accusing Susan of using her kids as “free labor” and saying her old age was her own problem. Hurt, Susan also failed to get help from her other son, Michael, who was away on business.
Feeling abandoned, Susan postponed the delivery, hired movers, and emptied her apartment. She sold the place for €85,000, bought a countryside cottage, and left a letter for her sons, explaining she’d no longer burden them. She moved to Maplewood, set up her new home, and started a garden, finally feeling free.
Six months later, Ben visited, stunned by her thriving cottage and serene demeanor. He apologized with roses, and Susan welcomed him in, accepting his love but standing firm in her independence. Sometimes, the harshest lessons teach the deepest respect.