Donald Harper moved in with his son Peter after his house burned down. Though Peter and his wife insisted they loved having him, Donald feared he was becoming a burden, especially as his neighbor Mary kept suggesting that his presence was causing strain. “Your son will lose his marbles soon and will ask you to move,” Mary warned, urging Donald to consider moving into a nursing home before it affected his relationship with his son.
Concerned about being a burden, especially as Peter and his wife began coming home later each day, Donald suggested moving to a nursing home. Peter postponed the discussion, but Donald eventually pressed the issue again, even researching a nearby facility.
When Donald and Peter set out to visit the nursing home, Donald was surprised when Peter drove past it and instead took him to his rebuilt house. “We absolutely can’t lose it, even if I have one of my own just a few blocks away,” Peter said, revealing that he and his wife had renovated the home. Overwhelmed with emotion, Donald realized his fears were unfounded, and that his son had been working late to restore the family home out of love, not frustration.
Donald’s worries dissipated, and he learned to trust in his family’s care, rather than the doubts sown by others.