Validation.

It's always nice to get validation, even when you know you did the right thing.
I talked to "Aunt Willie" today...she is Papa's Aunt Willie who lives in Arkansas, who has been such a great support through all of these family death's and nonsense.
I called her and read her my cousin's letter.
She was furious.
Willie is still mad at us for giving Aunt Shirley the $200,000 when Nany died...but we, and our Dad, felt that we needed to do that, even though we all knew Shirley wouldn't enjoy any of it and that it would go to someone else anyway.
Well Willie is really mad now, and understandably so. Yes, she pointed out how she was right...that giving Shirley that money did her no good as predicted, and that our Dad could have benefited from it...but now, her hateful family had the NERVE to send that disgusting letter to me...?
But she and her family back there were betting I'd get a phone call or something. Funny how some people are SO predictable!
I told Willie that I honestly think that "someone" has lied back there in NM big time. My impression from Leana's letter is that she thinks they got nothing...which is ridiculous either way considering that her family got every single thing in Nany's house...but from her letter, she acts like we didn't split that money, and we sure as hell did. Now, if she IS aware that we split the money and is acting this way, well then she can kiss my butt. If they thought they'd get my Dad's half as well, and considering the hell we went through with legal mumbo jumbo and taxes to soften the blow of doing so, they have officially lost their last brain cell. That money was in my Dad's name...so you don't just "gift" someone $200,000 without a complete headache...believe me, I know, because I was the one who got the fun of this, the phone calls, the faxes, etc., to make sure my Dad didn't get screwed for being nice to his sister. "The Man", or Uncle Sam, does NOT like it when people get money for free. To be honest, I could actually pretty easily put the Tax Man on my cousins trail for that money if I REALLY wanted to be as big of a B**** as they're acting like I am. I still have the bank info and the day that check was printed. There are papers stating who is my Aunt's Power of Attorney, and there would be a paper trail for that check being cashed and to what account.
Hmmmm.
Something to think about if I get another letter or phone call.
So...Willie reminded me that Papa had absolutely forbid us to give that money to anyone, that it ALL belonged to my Dad. And she was just beside herself about Leana's comment about our Dad being left out of "everything". Willie knows the truth, as we do, and people saying such nonsense, is just, well...NONSENSE! She also reminded me how this (the letter, their behavior...) is just what "people like them do". She repainted the day for me, the day that Papa died, when two of my cousins were at the kitchen counter pocketing all of Papa's drugs since they "were already paid for and no one was gonna use them now anyway". Nice, huh? His body wasn't even cold yet and they were trying to benefit from his death.
Again, Klassy.
And though I know that I said everything I needed to say in my response letter to Leana's jibberish (I tried to attach it here but it didn't come through), and I know we did everything FAIRLY...even going so far as ignoring Papa and Nany's wishes to help Aunt Shirley...it was nice to talk to Willie and be reminded...actually, to sort of be yelled at a little to slap some sense back into me. Not that I was doubting any of that OR my really harsh (but true) response to her unbelievable rudeness, but I tend to feel far too bad for people when I really shouldn't.
Fantasy for the evening: I was adopted.