Financial Burdens

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FAMILY STORIES: PART TWO THE FINANCIAL BURDEN Do you know what makes a child feel amazing? Wanted? Loved? Valued? Treating them like a financial burden, of course! Welcome back to Family Stories, where unconditional love comes with terms and conditions and an expiration date. Being a dependent is hard, isn't it? Especially when you're too young to yearn for the mines, too young to pay your own way, and too financially useless to justify your existence. Ungrateful little shits, am I right? Throw in a stepfather whose greatest passions are his retirement fund and financial portfolio, and a mother who's grown rather fond of her comforts. Whew! The perfect recipe for a warm, loving, emotionally secure childhood! But alas, adulthood approaches. You're trying to figure out who you are and what you want. Maybe you struggled in school because of undiagnosed ADHD. Maybe nobody bothered to ask why. Pfft! That's a story for another time! Because today we're celebrating a special milestone. YOUR NINETEENTH BIRTHDAY! Aren't you excited?! I certainly was! I thought it meant becoming an adult and beginning a new chapter. But silly me! What it actually meant was: Figure out your entire fucking life, go to school so the child support keeps rolling in, or GET OUT! Simple, really! You've had eighteen years to prepare. What do you mean you don't have your future figured out? Tick-tock, Cinderella! You're about to turn back into a pumpkin! You've nearly outlived your expiration date. I only signed up for eighteen years of this parenting nonsense! Eighteen years of being subsidized by your father, might I add! Sure, your father bought your clothes, paid for extracurricular activities and equipment, and covered plenty of other expenses. But let's not forget who kept a roof over your head! Well... technically, your stepfather's roof. But still! I FED YOU! What more could a child possibly want?! Emotional security? Understanding? Encouragement? Somewhere safe to figure out adulthood? Oh, don't be so dramatic! And don't get me started on your father! Sure, he wanted to see you. Sure, he wanted to talk to you. Sure, he was contributing financially. But did he want to pay MORE? No?! Unacceptable! What's a little withheld visitation and communication when there's money to negotiate? Nothing says "I love my children" like treating access to them as a financial bargaining chip. And it's not like you got much choice about which parent to live with! What if you'd chosen him? Think of the child support! Think of all that lost cheddar! And speaking of financial security, I even found a man with a house! HIS house! But a house nonetheless! Aren't I resourceful? Sure, maybe he gets angry. Maybe we scream at each other. Maybe the household isn't exactly emotionally stable. But who needs peace when there's property? Who needs healthy relationships when there's retirement savings? Who needs a loving family environment when there's a potential inheritance?! PRIORITIES, PEOPLE! Besides, children are resilient! They can handle a little screaming, financial resentment, and emotional neglect. And if they grow up struggling with self-worth, independence, or belonging? Obviously a personal failing! Perhaps they should've tried being less expensive. Because apparently, parenting isn't about love, patience, guidance, or providing a safe place to land. It's a running tally