Home Away From Home

GUEST COLUMN:

I have secret elves who cook me dinner, do my laundry, make my bed, and once in a while, they even leave mints on top of my pillow. No, I am not a delusional, overworked, and over-stressed public school teacher creating a fantastical world to ease the pain of observing incompetence on a daily basis. These elves happen to be my parents. And no, I also don't live at home.

This past summer, my parents caught their annual real estate fever. (My mom's been wanting to buy an apartment in the city ever since I was five. Unfortunately, the plan has never come to fruition because of the mortgage they already had on their house.) But, I guess the time was right, and I would be able to co-own the place. It wouldn't be hard to get the loan either since I have a steady income. Of course, my parents also wanted me to live in this apartment, and they explained the convenience of seeing me and coming over whenever they felt like it. They even envisioned my brother living with me while he did his summer internship. I cringed at the idea of them "coming over whenever they felt like it." It seemed like my privacy would be lost forever. I mean, they would have the keys to my apartment unless I decided to be really cruel and change the locks or something.

But, with my lease at my old apartment coming up, I decided to just live there...or here, rather. And really, I couldn't have made a better decision. Sure, it kind of sucks that my parents have complete access to my place, but they actually do respect boundaries. If they think I might be home, they'll call ahead of time, at least enough to hide the guy I have over in the closet. (Just kidding!) My dad comes over every afternoon to leave food in my fridge and letters that still go to my old address. He frequently washes the dishes if there are any and cleans the toilet. If my laundry bag is full, he'll take it home and my mom will do my laundry. (This also means folding service once in a while if she's in an especially good mood.)

I was extremely independent in college and didn't know how I would feel to have my parents so involved in regard to my living situation. But it's rather nice, and it's really made me appreciate all the little things they do for me. Do I envy watching my roommate lug all her dirty clothes and trek over to the laundromat every other week? Or the amount of time and effort she puts in to make decent meals? ...No. I know I sound a bit spoiled and super pampered but hey, I went to school on the other side of the country. I'm enjoying privileges that I was never able to experience in my younger days.

It's not like I'm living it up for free though. My parents are getting a pretty good cut of my money every month.

-Shelley

Shelley is a public school teacher who works in the Bronx.