Let me tell you about a couple who had a really tough time during this period. In 2020, the wife had to quit her job to homeschool their three children. This decision left the family with only one income, which wasn’t enough to cover their rent and bills. They were really struggling. Before this, the couple had managed fine with both their incomes. But now, with only the husband working, they couldn’t afford their home anymore. They asked the husband’s mother if they could stay with her temporarily while they figured things out.
How did the family become homeless?
At first, the mother agreed and offered them two bedrooms in her house. But when she found out they had been evicted and had nowhere else to go, she changed her mind and took back the offer.
Now homeless, the couple was desperate. They searched for homeless shelters that could accommodate them and their kids. This was very difficult because many families were in the same situation due to the pandemic.
For four long months, the family lived in their van. Eventually, they found a place in a homeless shelter, but the mother-in-law kept her distance, and their relationship with her fell apart.
The husband and wife felt hurt and angry that the mother-in-law hadn’t helped them when they needed it most. To make matters worse, the husband’s sister made them feel unwelcome when they asked to use her shower, even though they offered to pay.
“We were treated as if we were undesirables, simply because we were over 30, had three kids, and were struggling,” the wife said. She felt deeply frustrated and hurt that her sister-in-law could treat them so badly, especially since she had inherited her house and hadn’t paid taxes for years.
But this couple was determined not to let their tough situation get them down. They worked hard to create a better life for their children.
The couple turned their lives around
After some time, they managed to turn their lives around. They built a new home from scratch, got regular jobs, and even started their own business to generate more income. This way, they hoped to never be homeless again.
Going from living in a van to having stable finances made the couple incredibly proud. They did it all without any help from their families.
Then, as fate would have it, the mother-in-law found herself in trouble. She had reduced hours at work and no retirement benefits, and she was close to being evicted from her home. She received a lease termination notice and two eviction letters.
The mother-in-law asked for help
Desperate, she approached her son and daughter-in-law, asking if she could stay with them. “She came here yesterday afternoon and asked us if she could stay here,” the wife recalled.
The wife couldn’t help but find it ironic. The same woman who turned them away when they were homeless was now asking for their help. “There’s no chance of that happening,” she told her mother-in-law, who was offended by the response.
The mother-in-law looked to her son for support, but he sided with his wife. He, too, was resentful because his mother had let his children live in a van for four months. She had promised them a place to stay but abandoned them when they needed her most.
The mother-in-law left their home in tears, claiming that the situations were “entirely different.” She ran to her daughter, who then called her brother to criticize him for not helping their mother.
While it’s unclear why the daughter couldn’t take her own mother in, the husband and wife stood firm and suggested the mother look into a nursing home instead.
Their friends thought their decision was harsh, but people online supported them. One commenter on Facebook said, “Let SIL deal with mommy dearest. Seems a fitting end for them all.” Another added, “If your husband agrees with you, there is nothing mean about it. She chose not to help you. SIL can take her in.”
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