My chest tightened when my son said, “Dad, if you don’t help, we’re going to be homeless.” I’m 69, living in Youngstown, Ohio, and hearing that made my hands shake and my stomach twist painfully. I retired after 41 years as a steel plant supervisor. My wife and I live on about $3,300 a month between Social Security and a small pension.
We’re careful. Every dollar has a purpose. My savings—$52,000—are meant for emergencies and medical care. I’ve already had one heart scare. My son is 37, married, with two kids. He works in logistics. He told me they were $14,800 behind on their mortgage and the bank was threatening foreclosure. I felt instant guilt. What kind of father lets that happen? I asked how it got so bad. He said prices went up and things got tight. My jaw clenched, but I wanted to believe him. That night, I couldn’t sleep. My heart raced, my chest felt heavy, and I imagined my grandkids losing their home. The next day, I asked to see the paperwork. Something didn’t sit right. My hands trembled as I looked through the statements. Then I noticed large charges—concert tickets, weekend trips, a $4,600 home theater system. My stomach dropped. When I asked him about it, he got defensive.
“We needed some joy,” he said. That sentence burned. I felt anger, disappointment, and shame all at once. I told him I could help with $3,000, not my entire savings. He exploded. “That won’t fix anything!” he yelled. I felt my chest tighten so badly I had to sit down. Now he says I’ve chosen money over family. I feel sick with guilt, but also terrified of draining everything I worked my whole life to protect. AITA for refusing to empty my savings to stop my adult son from losing his house?
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