My sister has chosen to raise her four children on her own. Her husband cheated on her with a colleague, and since then, she hasnt entered into any new relationships. My sister is a well-educated woman, holding three degrees. One of them is in culinary arts. As far as I can recall, shes worked in various cafés and restaurants across London.
She always provided everything for her children. They were grateful, but they constantly wanted more. Now that theyre grown, each with their own families, my sister still sends them money. She retired quite a while ago, yet she keeps working. She says she enjoys supporting her children, believing it to be the purpose of her life.
Recently, my sister caught the flu, which quickly led to complications in her lungs. A severe bout of pneumonia lingered for weeks. She had to take sick leave, barely scraping by with enough pounds to cover expenses. Her friends helped her out, but her children only called their mother when the money transfers stopped.
They asked about her health, wished her a speedy recovery, and that was all. Not one of them inquired about how she was doing financially. She asked her children to visit her, but they refused. Each had their own jobs and families and claimed they had no time for their mother.
She felt hurt. Shed spent her whole life helping them, and now, when she needed them most, they wouldnt even come to see her. She stayed in hospital for a month, with the nurse covering all her medical costs. Eventually, she recovered and returned to work. Throughout her recovery, her children never called. The other relatives must have let them know she was alright, since only after she was discharged did her children remember her again.
At first, they asked after her health, but quickly got to the real reason for their call. Every one of them requested money, specifying exact amounts and deadlines for the transfer. All four behaved in the same way. They couldnt be bothered about where their mother would get the money from; their only concern was their own needs.
My sister was deeply upset. She hadnt expected such treatment from her own children. Perhaps it was her fault, but she felt sorry for herself. When you forget your own life for the sake of others, you expect some sort of reward in return. Maybe she shouldnt have put her children before herself. She should have thought about her own future, not just about a lonely old age. But now, its too late to change anything.
