My Daughter-in-Law Made Me Choose between Living in Basement or Nursing Home

After Cecile’s husband, Henry, passes on, she seeks solace by moving into her son’s house. But when she gets there, her daughter-in-law makes her choose between their dark and unwelcoming basement and a nursing home. What happens when Cecile decides on another option altogether?

Losing a partner after forty years of marriage is traumatizing. Loneliness is felt immediately, but it becomes all the more consuming as time goes on. When Henry, my husband, died of a heart attack, I felt this sense of loneliness harder than anything else.

The grief took over, and all I wanted was to be around family. I have two sons, Jack and Edward – Edward moved to Oxford straight out of college because he was awarded the opportunity to further his studies. He calls me every evening just to chat about our days. Jack, on the other hand, lives not too far away from me. He is married to Lucy and has a son named after my husband.

So, now that I’m all alone in this big house Henry bought when we were just starting our family, I’ve been trying to decide whether to sell the house or live with Jack, as he offered, or move out by myself.I decided to try living with Jack. It would be the most comforting thing. But little did I know, Lucy had other plans for my accommodation. I asked my niece to pack up the place while I settled into my new home with Jack and his family. So, I was at their doorstep, suitcases at my feet

. Ready to take on the role of a live-in mother and grandmother — taking over the kitchen whenever Lucy needed me. Lucy came to open the door, a mug of coffee in her hand, and told me that their house was bursting at the seams with the limited space and that the only room available was Henry Jr.’s room. But she wasn’t about to upset the room and change it in any way. It was for Henry when he returned from his semester at college. I understood that. It was his space, and I didn’t want to be a burden.

But I had assumed that Jack would have sorted something out for me — he was the one who asked me to move in if I needed it. “Cecile, we’ve got a bit of a space issue, as you can see,” Lucy repeated. “You’ve got two options,” she continued. “There is the basement, or there’s a nursing home. Your call, grandma.” Talk about a rock and a hard place. Now, let me tell you about their basement.

It’s not the basement you may find in some homes — there’s no converted space for gaming, sewing, or arts and crafts. It’s not a den or cozy room for guests. Jack’s basement is more of a cold, humid dungeon with a bedframe that sighed at every move and a mattress with sharp springs. This was not the comfort I needed.”Lucy,” I said, shuffling my weight from one foot to the other.

“I appreciate the options, dear. But I’ll pass on the basement and nursing home combo.” Cue to my son — trying to play the peacemaker. He came up from behind Lucy, his arm around her waist. “Mom, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking when I invited you to stay. Lucy has a point. We’re tight on space. I promise to get some furniture for the basement to make it comfortable for you.” A basement life wasn’t for me. A nursing home wasn’t for me — at least not yet. So, I just took matters into my own hands.

I dragged my suitcases to the car and drove to my niece’s home. I stayed there for a week while looking for a place I could buy. The house was already on the market, and once it was sold, I knew I would have more than enough money to buy a small place for myself. When everything was settled, my niece helped me move in, and I felt empowered. Maybe I didn’t need family as much as I thought I did.

Edward was worried about me being alone, but I reassured him I would be fine. I moved into the new apartment soon after – a cozy one-bedroom, perfect for me and the cat I hoped to adopt. The bonus was that it came fully furnished, so I didn’t have to worry about anything.

Then, Jack phoned and asked me to dinner with him and Lucy. I drove to their home, wondering what they expected from me. We sat down for dinner, and I told them I had bought an apartment and lived there alone. “I thought you were staying with Mia,” Jack said, referring to my niece.”You can’t be serious!” Lucy exclaimed at the same time. “I did stay with Mia until I moved. I needed my own space.”

“You said that you want to be around family, so I offered,” Jack said, turning red. “Yes, but if it meant being shipped off to a nursing home or having to stay in your basement, I think I’m better off alone.” Then, I left. A few weeks later, I adopted my cat. But I also rewrote my will, leaving everything to Edward, who continues putting money into my account every month, even though I told them I didn’t need it.

“A son must help his Mom,” he said. He also asked me if I wanted to move abroad with him — but how could I? I needed to be close to where Henry rests, at least for now. So, from basement dileMMAs to a cozy haven of my own, life certainly throws you for a loop. If your child gave you those options, what would you have done? Here’s another story for you: Elizabeth placed her father in a nursing home and never saw him again. She only visited him at his funeral. But the young woman’s karma caught up with her and taught her a harsh lesson when she received a letter from him after his death…

Their Hearts Were Broken When They Heard The Loud Cries Coming From The Trash

The scale of human cruelty cannot surprise us anymore. Every day, we witness sad stories caused by the heartless actions of some people.

Most of them are written according to a real-life scenario in which these helpless creatures are ready to give all their love, but those same people reciprocate in the worst possible way.

The beginning of today’s story is the best testimony to that. Several Good Samaritans, although used to various heartbreaking situations, could not even imagine what they would experience when they were passing by a container.

At one point, these good people heard loud cries coming from the trash, and when they realized what it was, their hearts were completely broken.

Life From The Bottom

When these people opened the bag from which loud cries were coming, they saw a tiny, one-week-old puppy inside. He was so young that he had not even opened his eyes yet and was trembling out of cold and fear.

Despite the initial shock from this heartbreaking sight, they managed to pull themselves together quickly. They put the puppy in a warm blanket and immediately brought him home.

When they finally came to their house, these people prepared a temporary resting place for the puppy and bought him high-quality milk. Because he was very hungry due to the lack of real mother’s milk, the puppy drank an entire bottle within 10 minutes.

As soon as he satisfied his hunger, they let him rest, and he fell asleep almost immediately. They enjoyed watching him resting as he looked like an angel in that warm, cozy bed.

After a week of sleeping and feeding on milk, the puppy finally opened his eyes and began to explore the world around him. His look was full of hope, and this motivated them to do everything to help him have the happiest puppyhood.

These good people provided him with the best milk they could find so that he could have all the needed nutrition in this crucial period of his life. They also gave him a lot of space in the house so that he was able to explore the surroundings and satisfy his curiosity.

While exploring, he met family cats and quickly fell in love with them. They were a bit suspicious at first, but they soon accepted his company, and from then on, a beautiful friendship was born.

Every day, this puppy looked better and was happier, and when he finally started walking after a month, nothing could stand in his way anymore.

Although they knew he still had a long way to go, his rescuers were now sure he had a bright future ahead of him.

Growing Up Quickly

Day by day, the sweet little furball was growing bigger and more beautiful. After a month, he was ready to transition from the milk to soft food. He wasn’t a picky eater, so they had no problem choosing the right ingredients.

Aside from preparing him the best-quality food full of nutrition, they also recognized his playful personality, so they started buying him toys to play with. He was over the moon when they brought him his very first toy, and that filled their soul.

After 51 days of the happiest puppyhood, he grew up and completely changed. His body weight increased quite a bit, and his fur was finally long and smooth. He became a real little beauty.

Although the puppy was now very comfortable and happy, they continued to take the best care of him and provide him with everything he needed.

As he was more grown up now, he also required larger clothes. They didn’t spare money and bought him the most comfortable clothes they could find. Out of all the family members, the puppy was the best dressed, and even the cats didn’t have better clothing than him.

From the best toys to the most comfortable T-shirts, the puppy enjoyed all possible benefits in a warm home. However, his biggest blessing was the fact that he was the most loved member of the family.

Yes, you heard that right – this puppy became a full-fledged member of the family as his saviors could no longer imagine life without him. At that moment, he was the most blessed dog in the world.

From The Cries To The Smiles

Soon after his new parents decided to adopt him, they brought him to the vet so that he could get the necessary vaccines, and they told the doctor to make a detailed examination. To their delight, the doctor confirmed that the puppy’s Health condition was perfect.

After this happy news, his new life could finally begin. His appearance completely changed, as he wasn’t a puppy anymore but a big, handsome dog who never stopped radiating positive energy.

Most of all, he liked to go for long walks with his parents and enjoy the sun, but he also favored big parks where he met and played with other canines. He carried a broad smile on his face that never stopped delighting all those people who would see him.

Source: Rescue Mission HT

This puppy became a walking smiley face that everyone loved to see and greet. However, they didn’t know that just a few months earlier, he cried in a place where no one wanted to look at him.

That’s what makes this story even more special and tells us that there is always a new opportunity to laugh, even when it seems like our whole world has collapsed.

This puppy is a living testimony to that.