Millennial widow asked to share life insurance payout by husband's family — her response garners praise from strangers
Sometimes, people have to stand up for themselves, even if their friends or family think they are wrong. This might be necessary for their own well-being or to protect their loved ones. A 35-year-old millennial woman, u/Dizzy_Guarantee249, had to do something similar when her husband died, and his parents wanted her to share a portion of his life insurance money with them. The woman wondered if she was wrong for refusing to help them.
"My husband passed away suddenly last year, leaving me and our two kids completely heartbroken," the woman wrote. Her kids were a 6-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl. The husband had a life insurance policy that paid out a significant sum after his demise. "While it doesn't make up for our loss, it has given us financial security." However, soon enough, her in-laws approached her with a request. "They want me to give a portion of the money to my late husband's grandparents (his mom's parents). Their reasoning is that they are struggling financially and my husband would have wanted to help them." The woman expressed that she felt bad for them, but they never had a strong relationship with the family.
"They didn't even come to our wedding, claiming it was too far, even though they travel for vacations all the time. They never made much effort to be in our children's lives either," the mom revealed. "And now, they suddenly think they're entitled to the money my husband left for his family which, in my mind, means our kids and me." The woman's mother-in-law called her selfish because the grandparents were "elderly and struggling." They felt "that I should honor my husband's memory by helping them." On the other hand, the mom felt the money was meant for her children's future. "It's not like I'm hoarding it. I've set up college funds and I am ensuring we're stable." She wondered if she was wrong for what she did.
People in the comments felt the woman had made a sound decision. u/anon wrote, "Your husband's parents are free to help out if they want. You have just gone through a horrible tragedy and are dealing with a lot of uncertainty. You don't know what the future will bring and you need to provide for your kids first." u/KissMeAgaine commented, "That money was meant to support you and your kids, not extended family who made little effort to be in your lives. Your responsibility is to your children’s future, not to people who suddenly show interest when money is involved. Don’t let guilt trips sway you—you’re making the right choice."
u/MossMyHeart remarked, "If he wanted them to have the money, they would have been beneficiaries. You are honoring his memory by caring for his children as he intended." u/Deb_elf shared, "I’m a financial planner. You need the money to keep your house (or apartment) over your head and your kids clothed and fed for the next 2 decades. I’m sorry for your loss. And I’m also sorry that your husband’s crappy mother is trying to make your life harder for you."