Originally Posted by
catherine
Today is my last morning at my house in New Jersey. Grateful for so much, but particularly grateful to my mother-in-law. When we were in the crapper, she co-signed the lease to rent this house in 1985. We paid the rent every month, but we never would have qualified.
When the owners were interested in selling, there was no way we could have even paid for the title insurance, never mind a down payment. My MIL's mother had just died and left her the savings she had socked away as a receptionist her whole life, and my MIL gave us the down payment for this house. It took me many years to understand how generous that gift was.
So it seems fitting that her grandson is the next occupant of this place, and that I'm, in a sense, paying it forward. I hope that I can live up to her love and generosity as I continue on in my years.