For several years the house in the village stood abandoned, the children did not want to do it, but when I hired a neighbor to clean it up, they got angry.

Have you ever faced the unexpected frankness of random fellow travelers? The road, the transience of an accidental neighborhood, the opportunity to share the boiling with a friendly or simply patient listener are often set up in a trusting manner. Especially in the compartment of the car, where in the middle of the week there are only two passengers, and even to different stations. And there is a fraternal, daughter, parental recognition in that around which conflicting thoughts and feelings swarm, that you want to resolve at least outwardly calmly, as if just alone with yourself.



A lot of different road stories have accumulated for me. About a tamed wolf whose loyalty was simply astounding. About the healer grandfather, who knew many healing properties of mushrooms and plants and never in all his life did not take a fee for treatment. How can it be quite legal to sell more expensive, for example, washing powder, without changing anything in the production technology at a stable exchange rate?

And how do you feel at the age of 80, when, having three sons, every four months you move from one to another: from Khmelnytsky to Poltava, from where already in Kazakhstan and again in a circle?



So I thought: we are also like random fellow travelers on the Internet. Why don't I tell you another one? parenthood? What if you can help with some good advice?

This is almost a confession heard from Antonina Makarovna, returning to Good Thursday from Kiev home. Apparently, having heard from the corner of my ear our daughter's phone conversation, my neighbor decided to share her heartfelt care. Here's her story:

“I have two daughters. My husband and I broke up when the youngest just went to school. Well, we moved in with my mother in the village. She was very supportive at the time. I don’t know how I would have done it without my mom.



When the girls got older, she left them with her mother, and went to work in Italy. Many villagers have already worked there. They met and helped them find a job. Of course, it was hard to be apart. But I was relieved to know that my children and mother had good food, beautiful clothes, a warm and cozy home. Of course, every month I sent them money, but I also regularly saved for my dream.

And when the daughters got married, I was able to realize it: each wedding gave a nice one-room apartment. Gifts were given to the daughters... I thought that was how I performed my maternal duties, and when the girls settled down, settled downI told them not to count on my money anymore. They didn't mind. Of course, there were gifts, continued to help my mother. But now I began to collect for my own housing, and for old age, which is not far off.



My mother passed away three years ago. I continue to work in Italy. The house you inherited is empty. More than once I asked my daughters and sons-in-law at least to take turns to go to the village to look after the house. In winter, melt several times, clean the yard of snow. In summer, mow the grass, clean the garden, wash the windows, paint something, repair it.



But no, there was always a reason to refuse. So it would have stood abandoned, but I decided to ask for help from Michael, a neighbor. Promised to pay for the work. He agreed. Not every day, but often repaired something, cared for the garden, yard. He called, reported what he had done, told me what to do. Looking after his wife’s grave, he cleaned up his mother’s...

Gradually, there was more than just a business relationship between us. Sympathy, trust... We talk for a long time: remember, share what excites, interests both of us and separately. Sometimes we dream.



Michael has been a widower for years. He has one son, an adult, living in Germany. At the beginning of spring, Michael called me home. We will renovate and renovate the house and live together. I don't mind, I'm glad.

But I told my daughters, and they were angry: what did I do when I was old? Married chickens to laugh? Why bring a stranger to the family nest? They promised that if I accepted Michael’s offer, they would not come to us for Easter. Maybe I thought I'd finish the house and take one of them to my house. Someday he'll come to them anyway.



Here's my way to my village. I know Michael is waiting, he'll be happy. And for the holiday, apparently, I will be without relatives.

Parental Confession: What do you think? All I said was that it was best to listen to what the heart was telling me. But I’m still trying to answer a difficult question: why are so many adult children convinced that a mother should sacrifice her happiness for them? Do the Tony Daughters have any reason to be angry because they didn’t care about Grandma’s house before? Can you help me figure this out?