When I returned home after weeks of caring for my mom, I was shocked to find my beloved garden transformed into a plastic nightmare. My mother-in-law, Linda, had taken it upon herself to “improve” it, unaware of the karmic twist waiting for her.
Linda and I have never seen eye to eye. She’s the type who thinks she knows best about everything, including how I should manage my garden. Despite her constant criticism, I loved tending to my garden. It was my sanctuary, a place where I found joy and peace after a hectic day.
However, Linda’s disapproval led to one of the biggest conflicts between us. A few months ago, my mom had a fall, so I stayed with her for three weeks. Tom, my husband, had to return to work, leaving me at my mom’s place, which was a three-hour drive from our home.
Before he left, I gave Tom detailed instructions to care for the garden, especially the new roses I’d just planted. He promised to look after it. But when I came home, I found my beautiful flower beds replaced with hideous plastic gnomes—an entire army of them, each more garish than the last.
Tom’s guilty look told me everything I needed to know. “Mom thought she’d surprise you,” he explained. “I didn’t realize she’d… do this.”
Fuming, I decided to confront Linda in person. When we arrived at her house, Linda greeted us with an infuriatingly cheerful smile. I didn’t waste any time.
“What did you do to my garden, Linda?” I demanded.
Linda seemed taken aback but then shrugged off my anger. “I just gave your garden a much-needed makeover. Don’t you love it?”
“No, Linda,” I retorted. “You ruined it. How could you think this was okay?”
Linda’s dismissive response was infuriating. “It’s just a garden. If you’d been more focused on your home and less on your mom, you’d have better priorities.”
That was the last straw. “My mother was sick, Linda! How dare you!” I said. Her final comment about me not having children hit hard, but I walked away before I lost my composure.
As we left, Linda added, “Oh, and those gnomes weren’t cheap. You owe me for them.”
I didn’t respond. Instead, I drove home, heartbroken and angry. Days later, karma intervened.
A week after our confrontation, Linda called me in a panic. “Come to my place now! Save me from this mess!”
Curious, I drove over. Linda’s once-pristine garden was in ruins, thanks to a family of wild raccoons. I couldn’t help but laugh at the irony.
Linda, distraught, pleaded for help. I smiled and said, “Maybe if you spent more time on your garden and less on ruining mine, this wouldn’t have happened.”
I left her speechless and added, “Oh, and about those gnomes? You can keep them. Consider them a gift.”
Driving home, I felt a sense of justice. Perhaps now Linda would understand the value of respecting other people’s passions and stop interfering in our lives.
