Dear Diary,
Yesterday my brother, John Smith, rang me out of the blue and asked if I could surrender my share of the old farmstead to him. His sole justification was that he had cared for our father, Robert, for the past three years.
I left the family home as soon as I started university at Leeds. After graduating I stayed in the city, landed a decent job in finance, married Emma, and we welcomed our son Oliver into the world. John also got marriedto Sarahbut he never moved out of the family house in Devon. I have nothing negative to say about him; hes a decent bloke and Sarah is wonderful. They lived peacefully with Mum and Dad for many years until they, too, had two children. Though we were all on our own and could visit the farm whenever we pleased, my fatherinlaw, George, still gave us a car as a wedding gift.
In the summers we would drive down to Cornwall for holidays and lend a hand with the house and garden chores at the farm. Poppy, who was always close to Mum, seemed to have everyone pitching in. Three years ago Mum passed away, and I could no longer help as much as I wanted. On top of that the global recession hit hard; I took on extra shifts just to keep our flat in Manchester.
We barely had time to go into town. A month ago Dad died. We helped organise the funeral and split the costs evenly between John, Sarah, and the rest of us.
Now John is pressing me to hand over my half of the farm. He argues that because he tended to Dad for three years he deserves it. I was taken abackDad lived on a modest state pension, which he used to support his grandchildren as well. How could an elderly man on a small pension need more money, especially from a farm thats barely paying its own bills?
John seems convinced hes doing the right thing, but Im not sure what he means by care. Our parents never said the farm would go to him alone. I dont want to fracture our family bond, yet I cant see why I should give up something thats rightfully mine. I still have a mortgage on my house that needs servicing, and Oliver could still benefit from Grandpas modest allowance.
Im at a loss. I told John Id have to discuss it with Emma first, and I havent given him a clear answer. The whole situation feels like walking a tightropeI want to protect my familys future without tearing the ties that hold us together.
Lesson learned: when duty and affection clash, the best course is honest conversation and a willingness to share the load, rather than letting pride dictate the outcome.
