Who does that?

I was reading this blog yesterday and this woman had an incredibly moving story to tell.  I will condense it for you.

Here she is, single, pregnant and in her early 20's.  She was living in a house rented with several friends.  She had a decent job.  Her immediate situation wasn't ideal but at least she had it under control.  But her future was a little uncertain.  So a few months into her pregnancy, one of her brothers calls her to say that him and Dad have discussed it and they decided that she is going to move into an extra room in their Dad's house.  And her sis-in-law was going to get her a job at the bank she worked at.  She felt like she had no choice but to accept this scenario for the long term.  So she would move into said brothers house while this room in the dad's house was getting "fixed up" for her.  2 mos later she is still at the brothers house.  She is suspecting something is wrong.  Turns out, the Dad never actually discussed this plan w/ his live in girlfriend and she is def NOT down with it.  At the same time, said brothers wife is starting to get major attitude w/ her living there.  So in the end, the brothers wife kicks her out and she can't stay w/ the Dad.  She ends up bouncing from couch to couch for the remainder of her pregnancy.  Eventually wearing out her stay everywhere she goes.  Because really, who wants a single mom w/ a newborn living in their living room?  One of those couches was her own mothers.  So now it's time to have the baby, her mother drives her to the hospital.  Well, she described it as her mother "dropped her off" at the hospital and took off.  The Mom comes to visit them later on and says to the daughter "You know you can't stay at my house, right?"  So here is this woman, homeless and in the hospital with a newborn.  She literally has nowhere to bring this newborn to when she gets discharged.  She is terrified.  And eventually, it came down to the kindness of a stranger that changed her life.  She was taken in by a local church family for a year.

The original story was posted in two, VERY LONG, posts and all I can think to myself the whole time is "who does this?" "who are these people?"  I don't think I've ever even known people like this.  My family was certainly not like this.

Now, I realize this is only her side of the story and I have no details on what lead up to all these people showing absolutely no support for her.  But man, my heart was breaking for her.  I even teared up a couple of times.

In her story she expressed how disappointed she was in two of her brothers who wouldn't take her in b/c their wives were not willing to help her out.  I do not agree with this.  When you're married, that person is your family now.  It causes major problems in a relationship when someone puts parent/sibling family over spouse/children family.  Really, she can't blame the brothers.  I mean, it would've been nice if the brothers were in a situation where they could have helped out but really it wasn't their responsibility.  However, as far as the brothers go, I hope they reflected on what type of women they married.  How could you respect your partner knowing that they would let your sister be homeless with a newborn rather than put their own selfishness/pettiness aside to help her out?  I don't think I could.  Let me tell you, I haven't spoken to my sister in 10 years but if she ever showed up on my doorstep with a newborn in hand and nowhere else to go, she would most definitely have a bed to sleep in!  Because you just don't do that.

As far as the mother goes, HOLY FUCK!!  Excuse my language.  Here is your pregnant daughter that is living on your couch.  You see what she is going through.  Terrified, alone.  You can't even give the girl a break?  Like I said, I don't know what happened in that relationship in the past, but, wow, I don't think I could ever do that either.  Be so callous and uncaring for my own child.  Even if you think she royally fucked up, GET OVER IT!  She needs your help now.  Wow, how different my life would be if I had a mother like that.

Now I am NOT one for being or supporting moochers.  And I think it can be a FINE LINE between helping someone get back on their feet and letting them mooch off you.  But if you read the story, the girl just needed a break.  She wasn't trying to mooch off anyone, she just needed some help.  I moved out of my parents house when I was 20 years old.  I never went back and I never asked them for money.  Not that I can recall at least :)  I just don't believe in not making your own way in life.

Well, anyway, this story just really touched me and I wanted to give my opinion about it.  I feel so thankful for my semi-normal family and I know that not a one of them would ever leave me out in the cold.

RIGHT??