People

Person 1: My brother

I think I have to go back and read the story of the prodigal son because I can't understand how my mother lets him get away with so much.

The back story:

My brother and his wife moved about an hour away for her job, which she lost soon after. They couldn't afford to move back so they moved in with my parents with the understanding that they would take over the bills for the house in exchange for living there. Since then, my brother has seemingly decided that the house and all of its contents now belong to him. Two years ago, for the first time in over two decades, I was not allowed in my family home at Christmas. Now, my family has been in the auction business long enough for me to develop a strong distaste for families that quibble over belongings when their parents are gone, but the fact remains that my Mother always intended for that house and its contents to be divided equally between us. So where does he get off believing its all his now? It still belongs to my parents who are very much alive. When the time comes to sort everything out (please God not for a long time) we will have to come to some sort of agreement along with the executrix. Right? The problem is that I can't explain this to my brother because he is quick to anger and slow to forgive. I've only recently been allowed to see their offspring again. Sigh. I hate feeling like I'm an intruder in the house I grew up in. I kinda feel awful that my Mother doesn't defend me....

Person 2: The hoaxster

I recently learned, mostly through MckMama's blog that there has been another scam meant to prey on the compassion and desire to help so present in this community which I am honoured to know. I can not wrap my head around anyone who would do something like this and I believe it is part and parcel of a movement orchestrated by evil to undermine the faith and caring of amazing women and men. I am praying they don't succeed, but every time this happens I worry that someone else has become so disillusioned that they are lost to the people who truly do care in internet-land. I've seen such wonderful things happen when people reach out to each other through these blogs, I hate the idea that someone could rob anyone of that support. That being said, I am equally impressed by the intelligence and ingenuity of those who find these people out and communicate to others in such a tactful and loving way. The internet may well be considered one of the least human modes of communication, and yet the humanity of these people unfailingly shines through. So I say this to the hoaxster and to the evil behind her, you've failed. Utterly.