06/03/2025
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. ⬇️