Woman Bans Sister-In-Law and Niece From Her Home After They Destroyed Her Houseplants
This is what happens when plants get between family.
In recent years, there has been an explosive enthusiasm for tending to indoor plants. Many people have a strong emotional connection to plants, one that those outside the community may never understand.
For these foliage fanatics, gardening becomes a meditative practice. They find joy in new growth or the return of a favorite perennial plant from the soil after a long, dark winter.
Indeed, the seasonal changes in plants and the greater natural environment serve to direct their daily lives.
Today's post focuses on one such indoor plant enthusiast—someone who has collected about 70 different species over the years. Apparently, her love for plants rubbed off on her niece.
According to her, the teen would always come over, as they would spend hours talking about plants, propagating, and repotting.
It was not until the author decided to leave town for two weeks that things took a different turn. During this period, her sister-in-law and niece were in charge of caring for the plants.
Unfortunately, she found her plants in a horrific state upon her return. Thus, a heated argument ensued, leading her to ban both her niece and sister-in-law from coming to her house again.
Now, she seeks opinions through the AITA subreddit on how she handled the situation.
Let's take a closer look at the story:
The author reveals her love for plants
plantmomaitaHer 14-year-old niece, Jenny, developed a keen interest in plants
plantmomaitaSister-in-law and Jenny decided to plant-sit for OP (original poster) while she was out of town
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OP gave them a tour and answered some questions to ensure they understood the type of care needed
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Unfortunately, when she returned, the plants were in a horrible state
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Everything was destroyed!
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Imagine what it would feel like to lose your expensive and prized possessions
plantmomaita
OP couldn't contain her emotions. She screamed so loudly at her niece that the poor girl started crying
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OP's sister-in-law had to step in
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The sister-in-law didn't understand the value that OP placed on those plants. In her words, OP was having a "tantrum over plants."
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OP didn't take those words lightly. In fact, she banned her sister-in-law and niece from coming to her house ever again.
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Very strong words here
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OP's brother made it clear that she's taking things too far. Well, now she wants to know if she really overreacted.
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Here's how users reacted to the story:
"Your SIL knew exactly what she was doing and profiting from it"
TreadingLife1038
"A 14-year-old knows better than to steal someone's hard work and sell it"
JustJessJ_Art
"Well, 'family' means we don't deliberately rob each other"
Senator_Bink
"I would kick anyone out who messed with my plants"
jazzy_flowers
"These thieves made THOUSANDS of dollars by stealing OP’s plants"
No-Wheel-8798
"Fellow houseplant enthusiast here! I’d never look them in the eye again"
snoowflake97
"Did anyone else gasp upon reading they'd been sold on Marketplace?"
SimplySam4210
"I hope you made them give you the money they received?"
KimmyStand
Many houseplant enthusiasts were visibly furious at what the sister-in-law and niece did to OP's plants. In fact, they were convinced that everything was planned and aimed at making a profit due to the plants' value.
It's sad to see a family torn apart this way, and we hope that everyone can find common ground.
Whose side are you on? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
