Many of us experienced some major changes four years ago, in 2020, as we had to adjust to the new normal following COVID-19.
Many were forced to deal with hybrid job environments and homeschooling, which was quite stressful.
For instance, this couple suffered considerably in 2020 when the wife was forced to quit her job in order to homeschool their three children. As a result, the family lost out on a significant portion of their income.
The couple had previously relied on their joint wages to assist pay for their essential living costs, such as bills and rent. However, the family of five could no longer afford to maintain a roof over their heads after the woman quit her job to care for their kids. As a result, they requested to be temporarily housed with the husband’s mother while they attempted to resolve their financial issues.

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How did the family become homeless?
When the mother learned that her family had been evicted and had nowhere to dwell, she withdrew her first offer to let them stay in two bedrooms of her house.
Now that they were without a place to live, the couple looked desperately for shelters where they could stay with their children. This proved to be challenging because the pandemic’s effects left a large number of additional families without a place to live.
This family ended up living in their vehicle for four months during that time. They eventually succeeded in finding housing in a homeless shelter, but the mother-in-law continued to maintain her distance, which strained her bond with the husband and wife.
The husband and wife couldn’t help but feel resentment against the mother-in-law because she had the option to aid them during their most vulnerable moment. Even though they had offered to pay, the husband’s sister made them feel uncomfortable whenever they asked to come take a shower at her house, which made the situation worse.
The wife claimed, “We were treated like unwanted people just because we had three children, were over 30, and were having financial difficulties.” Given that she had inherited the home from her late father and had even avoided paying taxes for five years, she was deeply offended and upset that her sister-in-law could treat them so badly.
The couple were determined not to let their difficult situation get the better of them, and worked diligently to create a better life for their three young children.

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The couple turned their lives around
Eventually, they managed to get their fresh start, building a new home from scratch. Both the husband and wife managed to secure regular employment, and they started their own business so that they could generate more income. These steps would hopefully prevent them from becoming homeless again.
Going from living in their van to having stable finances made the husband and wife incredibly proud of themselves, especially as they’d managed to achieve it all without the help of their families.
Though, as the old saying goes, what goes around comes around… It wasn’t long before the mother-in-law knocked on her son and daughter-in-law’s new home when life threw a curveball her way. However, they hadn’t forgotten how she’d treated them.

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The mother-in-law asked for help
The mother-in-law was in a sticky situation, having reduced hours at work and no retirement benefits, she was close to being evicted from her home. She’d received a notice of lease termination, as well as two eviction letters.
She became desperate, approaching her son and daughter-in-law to ask if she could stay with them. The wife recalled: “She came here yesterday afternoon and asked us if she could stay here.”
Even though the situation was sad, the wife couldn’t help but find it ironic that the same woman who had turned them away when they were homeless was now asking them for help.
“There’s no chance of that happening,” she apparently told her mother-in-law, who was offended by the response.
The woman looked to her son, hoping for support, but he took his wife’s side and chose not to help – he, too, had grown resentful because his mother had allowed her grandchildren to live in a van for four months. She had promised them a place to stay, but when the time came, she abandoned her family.

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The mother-in-law left their home in tears, claiming that the two situations were “entirely different.” She ran to her daughter and told her what had happened, and it wasn’t long before the daughter called her brother to criticize him for not helping their mother.
While it’s unclear why the daughter couldn’t have her own mother stay with her, the husband and wife stood their ground and chose not to accept the mother’s request – suggesting that she go to a nursing home instead.
Their friends found their decision a little harsh when they discovered what had happened, but people on the internet are backing the husband and wife.
“Let SIL deal with mommy dearest. Seems a fitting end for them all,” one person commented on Facebook.
“If your husband agrees with you, there is nothing mean about it. She chose not to help you. SIL can take her in,” another user added.
What do you think about this sticky situation? Let us know!