In the event that your relationship with your parents is occasionally or persistently contentious, perspective can be especially helpful.
As bad as your relationship might be, this is probably worse:
A judge has ordered a couple to pay their son $30,441.54 in restitution after he sued his parents for throwing away his apparently astoundingly large collection of pornography.
They must also pay $14,519.82 in attorney’s fees.
David Werking moved into his parent’s home following his divorce. During that time, his parents stumbled upon his pornography collection and disposed of it without their son’s permission.
In response, their son sued them for damages.
By filing the lawsuit, not only did Werking create a likely rift between himself and his parents, but he also made the entire situation public.
$30,441.54 is a lot of money, but is it worth irreparably damaging your relationship with your parents? Parents who, I’ll point out, were willing to take you in following your divorce?
Was it also worth announcing to the world that you once owned a pornography collection worth more than a brand new, fully loaded Ford Mustang?
I’m not so sure.
So the next time you find yourself bickering with your parents over something trivial or something less than trivial, take a moment and think about David Werking and his parents, and perhaps remind yourself how lucky you are.
