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Lessons From a Selfish Legacy
What my co-worker’s 82-year-old father-in-law’s death taught me
My Japanese co-worker looks at me with tired and apologetic eyes as she excuses herself again for an unexpected call. Her father-in-law’s 78-year-old girlfriend is calling her because another set of bill receipts has arrived.
Her husband, she tells me, refuses to answer the girlfriend as he believes she is the reason his mother had been left to live a sad and depressing life estranged from her husband.
The older man had met his maker a few days ago.
Now, there is conflict on what is to be done with the property he had shared with his girlfriend while his legal wife and children stay in a town an hour and a half away.
My co-worker shared that her spouse often expresses frustration whenever the topic of his father arises. He bemoans his father’s intractable and self-centered nature, which has caused considerable distress and complications for the family. Now, they face the dilemma of dismantling the older man’s mountain property to avoid tax, as inheritance laws in Japan can impose a significant financial burden on the heirs.
What my co-worker tells me about her current situation tugs at my heart. As I listen to her describe the dilemma they face to inform her…
