» Letters they'll never read

To a mother in law....
Dear Mother-In-Law,

I’ll never send this or communicate its contents to you verbally. Maybe I should, but my husband would not forgive me. By the way, you’re in imminent danger of losing him.

Two weeks ago when his father collapsed from a sub arachnoid haemorrhage and had to be rushed to hospital for emergency brain surgery, your son stepped in as he always does because he is a responsible, reliable person.

He took some time off work and drove 150 miles a day to feed the 100 animals that would otherwise have starved on his Dad’s farm. This had to be done every day, his brother couldn’t do it as he can’t drive a tractor, his sister couldn’t do it as she lives even further away and has a two year old to mind.

He has now used up as many annual leave days as he can, so he is working full time whilst still running the farm. He’s also paying all the costs of this. Creditors that knew his Dad was no good for the money are coming out of the woodwork and now my husband and I have to pay them off before we can get the meal, silage and grazing necessary to keep the cattle from starving.
We will shortly be more than €5k in the hole because of this.

You offered to cover these costs at first and so we proceeded, as after all you own 50% of the farm and have no shortage of cash. You’ve now reneged on this offer leaving us in debt and my husband looking bad (for taking time off) at his new job which he got after 6 long desperate months of being unemployed.

I hate your wishy-washy meaningless promises and your ‘ah sure ‘twill all be grand’ attitude. But it’s not just the money. We can get over the money, it’s only money after all.

It’s seeing my husband’s faith in you being destroyed. It’s the knowing that even though he saved the day and kept the show on the road and stopped his father’s ramshackle, tractor-eating quagmire of a farm from being shut down by the Department of Agriculture, he will be stiffed by his own family and not even thanked for what he did. He only did it ‘cos he’s a good person, a responsible man who could never stand to see animals suffer.

I’ve been with him for ten years and he is still the best man I know. I have no idea how he could have sprung from such an irresponsible bunch of troglodytes.

I hate seeing him look at you and knowing how disappointed he is in you, there will be no more helping out on the farm, no more Sunday dinners, there will be no more of him once this crisis is passed.

Despite my best efforts, he’s washing his hands of you and you’re losing the best son any parent could want. He’ll never say it outright, he’ll never deliver an ultimatum, he’ll just finish up whatever needs doing and then leave quietly. And it’s your fault for not stepping up and doing the right thing. I guess it serves you right, but boy is it gonna hurt when you realise he’s gone and you start to feel his absence.

I am so sorry for you, but there will be nothing I can do to help once the Rubicon has been crossed and he’s crossing it now.

Your daughter in law.
PS : Sorry for lack of funny, it’s been a trying few weeks!
(Fri 5th Mar 2010, 14:43, More)

» Dad stories

My Dad cured me of what could have been a life long addiction...
...to sugar.
I used to put 7 spoons of sugar in my miniscule, bunny-rimmed, kiddy cup of tea. Obviously I had a problem.
This was solved the morning my Dad poured my tea straight into the sugar bowl 'to save me the trouble'.
Even at the tender age of 9, I took the hint and gave it up.
Can't abide sugar in my tea now and can only have one teaspoon in coffee.
Thanks Dad!
(Tue 30th Nov 2010, 19:08, More)