LETTERS: Rebuttal to dad’s letter

To the editor:

This was my dad’s letter…advice to seniors. Readers deserve to know the truth. Please publish this as it is not fair to allow my dad to slander me and not let me tell my side:

I opened my home up to my dad..he sold his place in Maine (his own decision). I did not take his money or open a joint account. He offered to open the joint account and told the BofA banker “we only have each other…we are all we have”. He offered to purchase the Mercedes car for me (a 2009) which I traded my car in to help with the cost. I was NOT taking his money or using him in anyway. I was not looking for a horse farm…my dad mentioned that he wanted to live in the country and we drove by a 5-acre place that was for sale…he wanted to see it!

I was not upset at my dad…in fact, he told me he wanted to move back to Maine and I asked him to really consider it first and to give things time. I have a 3/2 home in Dunnellon, Florida, and I gave him my master bedroom and bath and I did not put any restrictions on him. I paid for all the utilities, he only had to pay for his groceries and gas.

He agreed to stay but after a few weeks decided he was leaving. He told me on a Monday morning (while I am getting ready for work) that he is driving back to Maine on Friday, He failed to tell me that a neighbor (that lives down the street named Gary) would be accompanying him on the trip. (which my dad had to pay him for and ended up costing over $1,000 between eating out, hotel and paying him $250 to ride with him, as well as paying for Gary’s flight back to Florida).

Here I am worried that my dad is on the road alone. Friday morning when my dad left (at 8 a.m.) I hugged him good bye and told him “this is your decision, you don’t have to go”, but he told me he was leaving. I asked him how far he was driving and he said “to Jacksonville” which I thought was odd as that is not far away. All this time my dad knew that I did not know Gary was going to be with him. This was hurtful. I thought for my dad to hide this fact.

As far as my cats…they eat and sleep and did not bother my dad in anyway. In fact, he would talk to them and petted them and seemed to enjoy their company.

I tried calling my dad only for him to hang up on me and then he wrote me and asked to only contact him by mail. So let me advise those children that have aging parents and they want to move in…have a long conversation first. My dad had a choice but his choice was to leave without providing any closure for me (as to why).

It is not right to let my dad write lies and lead people to believe his story…please publish this so that (maybe my dad) will be able to know how I feel…since he will not even speak to me.

Holly Slason
Dunnellon, Florida