My Daughter Refused to Support Me—Despite Everything I Had Given Her
When things go wrong in life, it’s natural for us to feel anxious. And in times like those, we’d like to think that our family or kids will help us out. But their responses might not always be what we expect. One of our readers reached out to tell us what her daughter did.
This is Pamela’s story.
My whole life I had been independent. I raised my two kids as a single mom, gave them everything they needed, and made sure they never wanted for anything. I even got them into the schools and courses they wanted to attend in college.
The only difference between me and other parents was that I spent my whole life renting because I never wanted the burden of owning a home. But a couple of months ago, things took a turn for the worst.
I had lost my job and because of that I was unable to pay my rent. In a moment of need, I contacted my daughter and asked her to help me out until I could get back on my feet. It’s not like I was asking for a lot or that she couldn’t help, but she refused, and I was left to make another plan.
I was heartbroken by the situation but managed to arrange something temporary. Then last month things took a turn and it left me questioning everything. My daughter bought herself a new home and invited me for a housewarming.
During the house tour, she stopped and gave me a spare key. I was surprised by the gesture but thought it was a sign that we had put our differences aside. I had no idea how wrong I was. To my shock, she casually said, “Mom, this is just for emergencies.”
I asked her what she meant, and she told me that I couldn’t move in with them or ask for help every time I feel something is going wrong. She even had the audacity to tell me that I overreacted when I lost my job and asked for help, since I sorted it out on my own.
She had no idea that I had to turn to her younger brother after she refused, or that I had been staying with him since then. He makes a lot less money, and yet he rearranged his entire life to help me in my time of need.
After the tour I left without saying a word and I haven’t reached out to my daughter since. I feel that she is being very selfish and inconsiderate. That’s not what I expect from a child I raised. But last night she sent me a text to apologize, saying I should’ve kept her informed.
