10/07/2025
MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW THREW OUT MOST OF MY KITCHEN UTENSILS — SO I BROUGHT HER BACK TO EARTH. My husband and I took a break at our country house and let our son and his wife, Natalie, stay in our home. "Make yourselves comfortable," I said. I regretted it the moment we came back. I walked into my kitchen and nearly dropped my bags. It was almost EMPTY. Not the food — the utensils. Pots, pans, baking trays, cutting boards, mixing bowls, casserole dishes, even measuring cups — ALL GONE. My hands trembled as I opened drawer after drawer. Where was the special ladle my mother passed down to me? The iron skillet we’d used for years? My favorite ceramic baking dish? I stormed upstairs to find Natalie lounging in our bedroom — in my robe. "Natalie," I said, trying to stay calm, "where’s my kitchenware?" She didn’t even blink. "Oh. I threw it out." "You... what?!" "It all looked terrible. Old, scratched, ugly. I couldn’t stand it. I mean, it’s not hygienic. I bought you a new frying pan. Honestly, you had way too much clutter in that kitchen." Clutter? I wanted to scream. Cry. Maybe both. But instead, I smiled. "Right," I said. "Well, thank you... for the 'favor.'" That's when I decided to teach her to respect other people's things. And the very next day, I heard her scream. ⬇️