Dear LFTP: the 83-year-old mother and the unpaid family loan
- Should an 83-year-old mother sue her daughter and son-in-law over an unpaid documented family loan, or forgive the debt?
A host reads a Dear LFTP letter from an 83-year-old mother of four: nineteen years ago her husband loaned her daughter and son-in-law a large sum, documented by a lawyer, to buy a house and pay judgments; repayments dwindled while the couple bought electronics, and now the parents need the money. The hosts debate suing versus forgiving: never lend what you cannot lose, do not drag siblings in, consider the will as the reckoning, and weigh the prodigal son and the shrewd manager against the unforgiving servant. One host quotes Luke 6 on lending expecting nothing in return and tells of lending $80,000 to his daughters as a gift in his mind; another recounts gratefully repaying a $50,000 family loan in Atlantic with interest. The Secular answer: instruct the lawyer to follow through and sue. The hosts' counsel converges on forgiving the debt to pursue reconciliation, while one holds out that responsibility still matters and a contract is a contract.
More on Family
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Dear LFTP: the mother-in-law moved in
- My mother-in-law moved in seven months ago and it’s been difficult — how can we sort this out?
The last letter comes from a wife whose mother-in-law moved in seven months ago with no boundaries, rising bills, unpaid prescriptions, and open disrespect.
From No. 604 · Rearview Mirror
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Dear LFTP: the single man and the holiday cliques
- Would it be wrong for the lonely single man to start declining holiday invitations?
The first Dear LFTP letter: a single man, happy with his life and plenty of friends and family, dreads the holidays — at Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings of 15 to 25 people,…
From No. 603 · Found Out
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Dear LFTP: the grandma, 'Libby,' and the weight comment
- Was I wrong to mention my concern about Libby's weight?
Mike reads the letter: she moved 2,000 miles to be near her daughter's family; granddaughter 'Libby' was diagnosed with a medical condition and put on weight.
From No. 602 · Relationship Counseling
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Dear LFTP: the Mimi letter ('Call Me Hoopi')
- Is it wrong for a grandmother to be upset when her grandson's other grandmother claims the same nickname?
Mike reads the Dear LFTP letter: a grandmother whose two-year-old grandson calls her Mimi — but the other grandmother claimed Mimi for herself, and the daughter-in-law is annoyed and doesn't want 'mom mom' either.