FOREBODING In the languid hours of the night, Emily stirred in her bed, the shifting shadows on the ceiling
Ive retired now, and this enormous feeling of loneliness has crept into my lifea sort of loneliness I
Betrayal by Ones Own Children Sarah sat once again in awe, watching her brother and sister.
I took my sister-in-law and her young son with us on holiday. I must have regretted it a thousand times.
A Chaotic Closet, Piles of Unironed Clothes, and Sour Soup in the Fridge—This Is Our Home. When I Tried to Gently Talk with My Wife About It, I Ended Up Accused Instead
I Fell in Love with Mary at First Sight—Completely Smitten by Her Beauty and Charm, I Thought I Was the Luckiest Man Alive. She Was Smart, Attractive, and Immaculately Clean, So I Proposed Without Hesitation.
When We Moved In Together, Mary Made It Clear She Didn’t Like Housework, Preferring to Focus on Her Career and Split Chores Evenly. That Seemed Fair to Me, So I Agreed—Unaware of What the Future Held.
At First, We Managed, but Six Months Later Nothing Went as Planned. Mary’s Job Hopes Didn’t Pan Out—She Was Stuck in a Part-Time, Unstable Position, Spending Her Earnings on Herself While I Worked Relentlessly All Day. Still, Mary Strictly Remembered the ‘Equal’ Division of Labour, Sometimes Ignoring Her Share.
Her Enthusiasm Faded, and Soon the House Was Overrun with Clutter and Unironed Laundry. To My Shock, She Blamed Me, Saying I Should Do More to Help, Even Though We’d Agreed on Fairly Sharing Everything. I Struggled to Juggle Work and Keeping the House Together, Hurt That the Responsibility Had Fallen on Me.
I Hoped Things Would Improve After Our Baby’s Birth, Thinking Mary Would Take Care of the Home While on Maternity Leave—But It Only Got Worse. Sometimes I Wonder If I’d Be Better Off Without My Wife, Especially with Arguments Becoming Daily Life.
I Try to Empathise with Her Point of View, But I Can’t Shake the Feeling That My Own Needs Are Ignored. I Work Hard at the Office and at Home, Longing for a Moment’s Rest.
Now I’m Left Questioning What Mary Does All Day During Maternity Leave—Why Can’t She Make Dinner or Tidy Up When Our Two-Month-Old Sleeps Most of the Time? Sometimes I Think I Could Handle the Housework If Our Roles Were Reversed. I Worry What Will Happen If We Have Another Child. I’m Committed to Equality and Mutual Support, but It Feels Like Mary Finds That Concept Difficult to Grasp.
I Love My Child and Don’t Want to Ruin Our Family, But I’m at My Wit’s End—How Can I Keep Going Like This? Whose Side Are You On? A chaotic wardrobe, heaps of un-ironed clothes, and a pot of sour soup forgotten in the fridgethis is our home.
Our Foolish Children Chose to Play at Being Independent and Ended Up in Debt and Losing Their Home
When our children got married, both sets of parents decided to help them with housing. My husband and I had some savings, as did my in-laws. We pooled our money together and it turned out to be enough for a small flat. We wanted to buy it for our children right away, but they said they were independent and would buy it themselves.
Some time later, we found out that yes, they had bought a flat—a three-bedroom one. And where did the money come from? They’d taken out a bank loan to buy the flat. Who would pay off the monthly payments? They assured us they could afford it.
Then we found out they wanted a car too. Their flat was far from work and public transport was inconvenient. They bought a brand new car on finance, straight from a showroom, though we’d suggested they get a used one. Again, they insisted they were independent and knew best.
Next, they wanted a child—preferably born abroad so they could secure citizenship there. Once again, they borrowed money so their daughter could give birth in good conditions, with a doctor always available.
She gave birth. Then they wanted to renovate the baby’s room, so took out another loan. When we asked, “Who will pay?”—”Ourselves, we are independent.”
And then misfortune struck—my son-in-law was laid off from work, and my daughter was on maternity leave. No more money. How would they pay off all those loans? They asked us to sell our countryside cottage. We didn’t want to, but had to do it so they wouldn’t default. Sadly, it wasn’t enough.
Then they had to sell the flat, and eventually the car too. They moved in with their in-laws. Now they complain they have nothing of their own. Of course—because they didn’t listen to us. The loans are still not paid off—it will take several more years. Nothing but sadness and tears. Foolish children, thinking they could dance alone along the foggy banks of independence, wandered off
During their divorce, a wealthy husband chose to leave his wife with a derelict farm, abandoned and lost
The dog doesnt know the simplest things What should I do? A few years ago, my mother-in-law slipped away
Without a Bit of Luck, Thered Be No Joy How could he have left you, you daft thing! Whos going to take
My dear is still married to his wife and has a daughter. I love my husband very much. We’
