Woman Constantly Scolds Her Mother-In-Law until 82-Year-Old Betty Gets Paralyzed — Story of the Day

When Betty's husband died, Harley decided to move his mother into his home. After a year, his wife, Paige, got tired of the arrangement and kicked the older woman out. However, Betty had a health scare, and the entire family realized something vital.

"Can you please stop giving the kids candy all the time? Betty, it's not good for their health or their teeth," Paige scolded her mother-in-law, Betty Robertson, who was 82 years old. Her husband, Harley, had moved his mother with them when his father died, so she didn't have to live alone in their big house on the other side of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

At first, Paige thought it was convenient. The older woman could watch their three kids for free, and they could continue managing their business. She and Harley got married in their mid-30s and had three kids immediately. The kids were still very young and needed someone caring for them, and Betty seemed like the perfect solution.

Paige didn't like how Betty spoiled the kids and disregarded her house rules. | Source: Pexels

But Paige started getting more frustrated with her mother-in-law, who blatantly ignored her rules and let her children run the show.

"It's alright, Paige. A little candy will not do them any harm," Betty replied, shaking her head.

Paige hated when the older woman spoke to her that way. It seemed condescending to her. Of course, Betty had more experience with motherhood, but she had a right to impose rules on her children.

"Betty, they're my kids and I know what's best for them," she told her, her arms crossed.

"Please, Paige. You're mainly a career woman. I was a housewife. Trust me. I know what I'm doing. Harley turned out just fine," the older woman responded with a kind smile. But Paige still thought she was looking down at her choices.

Soon, the tension at home had become too hard to bear. Even Harley was spending way too much time at the office because Paige and Betty would quarrel all the time. They never screamed at each other, but the atmosphere was not pleasant.

Paige was tired of having Betty in the house, and Harley had to make a decision. | Source: Pexels

Paige was done. She told her husband that Betty needed to go back to her house that night. "It's been a year, honey. I know you brought her here after your father's death so she wouldn't be alone. But we need our space as a family. It's time to return to normal," she insisted.

"Paige, it's not that simple. The kids adore their grandma, and she watches them so we don't have to pay a nanny," her husband protested.

"We have more than enough money to pay for a nanny. I've been patient, I've been understanding, but I don't like how she disregards me. I'm serious, Harley, it's time!" Paige finished, stomping to the bathroom and closing the door.

Harley sighed, rubbing his hair in frustration. He wanted to reason with her more, but he knew her well. She was not going to budge.

The following day, he talked to his mother, who was utterly understanding about the issue, although it hurt her. They moved her back to the big house and tried to adapt once again to living separately.

***

It was a nightmare. The kids rebelled, causing three nannies to quit in less than a month. Paige didn't know what to do with them. She also didn't realize how organized her house was with Betty there until she was gone. She didn't see how much she helped out.

She didn't realize until Betty left how much the old woman contributed to the house chores. | Source: Pexels

Now, all the house chores fell to her once again, and it was exhausting. Their business was booming, but every day, she came home to a messy house, cranky children, and tons of things to do.

Harley was not a deadbeat. He helped out, but it was still tiring. He suggested bringing his mother back, but Paige was too proud to succumb. "No, we can handle this. We did before. It'll be alright."

However, something life-changing happened a few days after their conversation. Paige was working when Harley burst into her office, looking panicked. "We have to go to the hospital! Quick! My mother had a stroke!"

Paige's eyes widened in surprise, and she rushed out to follow her husband. They arrived as soon as they could at the hospital and had to wait for a long time because Betty had been taken for surgery.

After some time, the doctor came out and had some terrible news for them. "I understand that Mrs. Robertson lives alone? Unfortunately, it took some time for her to get here, and that posed some complications on her health."

The doctor told them something surprising about Betty's condition. | Source: Pexels

"What kind of complications?" Harley questioned desperately.

"We'll see the extent when she wakes up, but it's safe to say for now that she is paralyzed from the waist down," the doctor revealed, shocking both of them.

The physician had to leave but let them visit Betty in her room. Harley sat down and cried next to his mother's bed while Paige looked at them, feeling guilt in her heart.

"This wouldn't have happened if she was living with us," she finally uttered, her hand down in shame.

"Paige, please. A stroke can happen at any time," Harley whispered back through his tears.

"But maybe not this bad. The kids could've called 911 or something. Our house has closer neighbors. I made a huge mistake, Harley," she continued, the guilt escaping her. "Oh my… the kids. How are we going to tell them about this?"

They moved Betty back to the house with hired help, and everyone was happier.| Source: Pexels

"We'll figure it out. But she is not going back to that big house alone," Harley decided.

"Agreed," Paige responded immediately.

Betty spent several more days at the hospital. When she woke up, it seemed like the only problem was her limited mobility. But after running some tests, the doctors assured them that physical therapy would help, and in time, she would get used to moving around in a wheelchair.

Harley and Paige moved her back to the house, and the kids helped out as best they could because they were smart enough to know they had almost lost their grandmother. The couple still had to hire a nanny and in-house caretaker for Betty, which was fine as they could afford it.

Harley bought his mother a house in their neighborhood after selling the other. | Source: Pexels

Meanwhile, considering how Betty and Paige's temperaments sometimes didn't jive, Harley decided to sell Betty's big house and buy a smaller one closer to them. It was the perfect solution. The kids could visit their grandmother as often as they wanted, and she would never be too far from anyone in case of an emergency.

This arrangement worked perfectly for the rest of Betty's life, which was blissfully surrounded by family and tons of love, even if she couldn't walk independently.

What can we learn from this story?

• Family is the most vital part of life, even if some annoy you sometimes. It's easy to get annoyed at your loved ones, but it's essential to be patient and understand them because family matters more than anything else.
• Always check on your loved ones, especially if they are senior citizens. Some people forget their older family members because life gets busy, but you have to check on them and be sure that someone is there for them in case of emergencies.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who didn't want her mother-in-law to watch her baby.

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