All these sad stories. Most families have bad apples who work nights as vultures. Time for a better story. Please excuse the tense of once removed....
There was this poster at a gun forum. He has a wife who doubles as an RN and an easy mark, kind of. She had an elderly aunt who was dying 2 autumn's ago. So the wifey split to care for the generous aunt who was rapidly declining. Sure enough, the end came. There was a modest but nice estate. It was being split 4 ways, among the nieces and nephew. All was well, and it was divided pretty fairly, with the above mentioned posters wife traveling to the place, LV, both to care for the auntie and then clean up the place to sell. Some carping and bickering from those who did nothing (the expected.)
The one series of events of interest here (and to me) was that one of the 4 parties had passed away already. So his quarter was being divided between his very responsible daughter and then the son, who'd apparently had some drug problems and was known for his irresponsibility. All kinds of behind the scenes plotting was considered to not give the irresponsible one his fair share. It wasn't greed, it was the fear he'd just blow it. So when the time came, he insisted, then demanded his due. Everyone was disgusted with him (and mad at him.) But he got his first installment.
I'm guessing it was a bit over $20,000 (good guess.) The next day the reputed druggie/drunk split the scene. Didn't tell anyone where he was going or why. His business, and he was justifiably mad at them for their plotting. Gone for 3 months, assumed to be partying and trying to see how much abuse a person could take.
Then one day he reappeared. He'd quit his job when he got his money, and was actively looking and found a job. He seemed happy. Any questions about how he spent his cash were ignored and rebuffed. His life, stay out of it.
Forward to the near past. The responsible sister was getting married. One minor problem, she decided to go all out, getting hitched on a cruise, but inviting everyone to go to (at their own expense, of course.) Brother declined. A little upset it wasn't being held anywhere near where the mass of the family lived, and refused to spend that kind of money. Eventually the questions kept coming about how he'd wasted his first installment of his inheritance. It finally came out. He checked himself into a rehab clinic for the 3 months.
So the poster of gun stories found a new respect for the nephew. His inheritance, his choice, well spent in my opinion.
Just as we probably shouldn't infringe on others privacy, we do need to allow freedom. Both for the living who enjoy their junk, and for those who get the stuff.
A very good argument could be made that I have no conceivable use for all the guns I own. Or the knives, or the ammo. Hell, you could say I have no "right" to own that many spoons, or ribbons, or embroidery thread.... But my wife and I enjoy our stuff. And the guns say no one had better try to take it from us! Once a few years ago my wife was even teasing me when I imposed on her to embroider a half dozen golf towels for a friend. She whined I was giving all of her stuff away (I'd just bought her about a thousand of them on closeout.)
The fact is, its our exercise of freedom. The same forces of evil that would prevent me from owning another gun would also impose upon me to "share the wealth" by giving my goodies to someone too lazy or sorry to acquire them when they could.
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