When children who have had precious little to do with a parent for years suddenly reappear, urgently pressing for him to sell the house, it tells its own story.

For years, he used to say, “If anything ever happens to me, my children will look after you.”

I always begged to differ — because words are easy and patterns are not.

Actions speak louder than words.

And the events of the past year have been living proof.

No concern.

No empathy.

No attempt to understand the impact of loss, upheaval, or vulnerability.

Just pressure, entitlement, and self-interest.

This is how people reveal who they are — not in promises made in comfort, but in behaviour shown when decency actually matters.

And when someone shows you who they are, repeatedly and unmistakably, the lesson is not to argue — it is to believe them.