They say you remember every detail of the day your child is born. For me, that includes returning home to find a bill from my mother-in-law for dog sitting services.
“Six hundred dollars?” My voice cracked as I read Diane’s note aloud, our newborn daughter sleeping in my arms. “She charged us for walking Rich?”
My husband Jason looked like he wanted to disappear. “I’ll take care of this,” he promised.
But I had a better idea. When Diane came to visit, I greeted her warmly before presenting my own documentation – a meticulous record of every time we’d helped her without expecting compensation.
“There’s the weekend we painted your entire house,” I pointed out. “The $800 we lent you for car repairs. The dozens of dinners we hosted without ever asking you to chip in.”
Diane’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. “That’s different!” she finally sputtered.
“How?” I asked gently, rocking my daughter. “Either family helps family, or we start keeping track. Your choice.”
She chose wisely. The subject never came up again, and Rich got extra treats that night for being the only family member who never sent us an invoice.
