Recently, I noticed that things began to disappear in the house, my surprise was beyond limit when I found out who was behind it.

Life itself tells us that no one has property. For example, in the family or at work. We, adults, try to stick to this state of affairs and identify household thieves as quickly as possible. Whether it's a missing sandwich from the office fridge or a missing personal shampoo in the bathroom.



In practice, of course, there are some obstacles that still need to be considered. Well, the baby will borrow an extra piece of cake or the husband will use your comb. But nothing more. At other times, we fearlessly lash out at a potential robber and demand our belongings back. This can lead to a deterioration of relations with neighbors. And is it worth it?

At some point, all sorts of small things began to disappear from my apartment. Napkins, cookies, sunflower oil, even cream. Not that it's expensive, but it catches your eye. And we live in three: me, my son and my husband. The husband immediately said that he did not take anything, “he only gives to this family and does not take anything in return.” Well, that makes sense. He's joking. So it's not him.



His son also refused, although he was a schoolboy. He cannot agree with me in principle. Like telling your mother the truth. But in this case, too, he was clean: things were missing even when he was away all day. I immediately struck myself off the list of suspects, so there was only one person left.

My mother-in-law. Hope Ivanovna. When I went to visit her uninvited, I saw some missing items in the kitchen. A set of paper towels, butter and something for small things. I didn't say anything at the time, but I told my husband at home. He was surprised at first, but promised to talk to his mother. Find out about the situation.



The thing is, she's been coming to our house a lot in the last six months. To play with my grandson while we were at work. And, you know, thank you for those visits. I love my son, but sometimes even he pisses me off. I think it's normal. So sometimes even I, his mother, need a break from my own child.

And for Nadezhda Ivanovna it is like a holiday. She comes to read with him, to talk with him. Sometimes you can cook lunch or even clean it. In this respect, of course, her generation is much more practical than ours. Sometimes I only have enough to heat up the leftovers from a microwave dinner, and my mother-in-law doesn't take it at all. Always talking about homemade food and harmful microwaves. That's the age.



Especially, it was strange for me to find out that a man like her, an old-school girl, was stealing from us. It's a good little thing. And I keep jewelry, by the way, in the open. After her husband talked to her, she called me and asked me to meet at our house. She came with some gifts. She apologized and said she didn’t notice anything falling into her pocket. By habit, I guess.

Her husband, of course, forgave her. Me too. But there's a sludge left. I had to have an educational conversation. Nothing special, just a couple of minutes I told you that next time you should not hesitate to ask. And if everything goes well, of course we'll let her take some things. No problem. A little embarrassing, of course, for a woman who just recently retired. But I guess that's what awaits us all.



Ironically, after my story, my colleagues sided with my mother-in-law. They felt sorry for the "poor old lady." It's like I stole her stuff. Everyone started judging me, saying I should apologize. I just can't figure out why. My belongings were in someone else’s possession, and I discovered it myself. Why should I repent?

Although, to be honest, only women and only a few men work in our office. The vast majority of them are much older than me. So it's no wonder they chose the side of their mother-in-law. Another 5-10 years, and they will be like her in age. Therefore, their support of Nadezhda Ivanovna is clear to me.



Do you think I was wrong in this situation that I allowed myself to make a comment to my husband’s mother? I didn't go to the police and take the garbage out of the house. Fixed the family problem. Or should I just keep quiet, pretend I didn't notice anything until the gold really started to disappear in our house?

I'm curious, really. Because I don't see a drop of my guilt. I only see some “noble” defenders who would do the same, if not worse, if they were in my place.