Today, the heirs (kids) of a family called me about their deceased father's will.
Someday, you may be doing the same with your siblings. When that happens, save yourself an ugly display of human greed and bile by realizing the following:
There is no law that constrains parents to do what you want, what you think is fair, or what any other person, group, religion, or government thinks they should do. They don't even have to do what their spouses do. Their property is "theirs" in every sense of the term. They can spend it all before they die, they can give it all to you, they can give it all to charity, or they can give it all to your sibling(s). They can do it out of fear, love, hate, concern, spite, and just for kicks. They just can't do it when incompetent.
Don't plan your life around it, and don't expect anything. Just treat everyone well and be grateful if fortune eases your burdens or gives you the bounty of an unexpected inheritance to grace your life, or that of others, if they so choose.
In this case, the father left his inheritance, a relatively modest sum, to two of his children who where disabled. He left nothing for the other three half siblings. I can't remember all of his reasoning, but who is to say he was wrong?
His disinherited son thought he was wrong, and he let us all know by shattering any bit of decency and dignity he carried by hurling the most obscene invectives he could conjure from his livid mind at us.
Don't you be that person. Decide now to be mature, measured, and charitable. If, in fact, you think a parent has been taken advantage of at your expense, or things aren't as they are claimed to be, don't make assumptions, don't assume the worst of everyone. Do your homework and then act with decency through the appropriate channels. Most of all, take a moment to realize there may be another way to look at things than from your limited perspective.
Loren M. Lambert © April 24, 2013
Someday, you may be doing the same with your siblings. When that happens, save yourself an ugly display of human greed and bile by realizing the following:
There is no law that constrains parents to do what you want, what you think is fair, or what any other person, group, religion, or government thinks they should do. They don't even have to do what their spouses do. Their property is "theirs" in every sense of the term. They can spend it all before they die, they can give it all to you, they can give it all to charity, or they can give it all to your sibling(s). They can do it out of fear, love, hate, concern, spite, and just for kicks. They just can't do it when incompetent.
Don't plan your life around it, and don't expect anything. Just treat everyone well and be grateful if fortune eases your burdens or gives you the bounty of an unexpected inheritance to grace your life, or that of others, if they so choose.
In this case, the father left his inheritance, a relatively modest sum, to two of his children who where disabled. He left nothing for the other three half siblings. I can't remember all of his reasoning, but who is to say he was wrong?
His disinherited son thought he was wrong, and he let us all know by shattering any bit of decency and dignity he carried by hurling the most obscene invectives he could conjure from his livid mind at us.
Don't you be that person. Decide now to be mature, measured, and charitable. If, in fact, you think a parent has been taken advantage of at your expense, or things aren't as they are claimed to be, don't make assumptions, don't assume the worst of everyone. Do your homework and then act with decency through the appropriate channels. Most of all, take a moment to realize there may be another way to look at things than from your limited perspective.
Loren M. Lambert © April 24, 2013
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