After Her Brother’s House Burned Down, She Wouldn’t Let Him Move In Since He’s A Hoarder, And She Was Worried He’d Turn Her Home Into Chaos
For most of us, our houses are our sanctuary. When work, family members, or friends are stressing us out, we can retreat to the comfort of our own homes – which are designed with only our lifestyles and routines in mind.
So, what happens when somebody with a completely different way of life wants to stay with you, threatening to upend your peaceful household?
This 32-year-old woman is grappling with that very same question right now. She currently lives in a small and tidy house – which she’s worked hard to maintain and make her own.
On the other hand, her younger 29-year-old brother Tim is the opposite. According to her, he’s actually a hoarder.
“His house was filled with junk and always a mess,” she detailed.
However, just last month, his house tragically burned down in a fire, and her brother lost absolutely everything.
Thankfully, her brother made it out okay. He’s also engaged to a 28-year-old woman named Lisa, and his fiancé was alright, too.
Still, after the fire, they were obviously left without a place to live. So, Tim turned to her for help.
He gave her a call and asked if both he and his fiancée could temporarily move in with her.
izkes – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
“While I felt terrible for him, I was worried about my house,” she admitted.
Tim has apparently always had a hoarding problem, and she was worried that he’d bring his habits into her home and turn her life upside down. She views her house as her safe place, and she can’t deal with the thought of it becoming chaotic and cluttered.
“So, I said no,” she revealed.
Her refusal to help her brother out triggered a domino effect of events, too. Tim and his fiancée Lisa actually wound up breaking up. Afterward, Lisa moved back into her parent’s house; meanwhile, Tim started sleeping in his car.
“And recently, I found out that Lisa is pregnant, which makes me feel even worse about the situation,” she vented.
Tim has not spoken to her ever since she turned him down. On top of that, he will not accept any help from her now after his life has already fallen to pieces.
All of this has left her wondering if not letting her “hoarder brother” move into her home in the first place was justified or really just made her a jerk.
What’s more important – maintaining your personal boundaries or helping out your family? Did she have a right to prioritize her own household over her brother’s needs or not? What would you have done in her shoes?
You can read the original post on Reddit here.
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