Grieving California family shamed for not putting up holiday decorations

[Teh One Who Knocks]

by Tribune Media Wire


https://i.imgur.com/jvM4hNI.jpg

VACAVILLE, Calif. — A California family received an anonymous letter in the mail calling them Scrooges for not decorating their home in a neighborhood where many homeowners put up elaborate displays.

But the family had a good reason for not decorating, and they are receiving a lot of support on social media.

The author of the letter told the Zarra family it is “completely unacceptable to not decorate a house for Christmas if you live on Candy Cane or Lollipop Lane.”

The letter calls them disrespectful, rude and selfish because they didn’t decorate.

But homeowner Lyndia Ives Zarra actually loves to decorate. Her mom, Cheri, hand-painted many decorations over the years that are usually proudly displayed in the family’s yard this time of year.

But Cheri died from cancer very recently. Because of grief over the loss of her mother, Lyndia refrained from decorating this year.

“When you get a letter like that, it’s heartbreaking,” Lyndia said Wednesday. “Because it’s not like I was trying to make the street ugly or whatever. I just had to deal with my family and I.”

Lyndia just needed space to grieve this year.

“Yes, I needed it, I didn’t need somebody telling me how bad I was doing,” she said.

Lyndia shared the nasty letter on the Solano County Community Awareness Facebook page and has received hundreds of messages of support.

[Muddy]

Welp, that would be the last year that I decorated. :)

[KevinD]

These dummies live in cow town and they're complaining about someone's lack of decorations? ??? Bwahahah

[Hal-9000]

I had a little tiff with my neighbor next door. He's a good guy generally. We were both out one night doing the walks, he comes over and gives me shit for not putting up Christmas lights.

He had about 500 drinks :lol: so I tell him I just wasn't into it. He starts to scold me again and so I said - It doesn't feel like Christmas without my Dad.

He apologized and shut the fuck up :lol:


I don't care if you live on Santa's Fucking Workshop Street...those neighbors have no right to attempt to shame someone like that. There could be a million reasons..

[deebakes]

i didn't put up shit nor do i plan to :lol:

[Godfather]

We adopted our cat from an old lady who couldn't keep him in November 2015. We sent pictures of us, our home, info on us, and picked up the little guy at the airport after paying her shipping costs plus the cost of a cat carrier all well in advance, emailed right away to say he was safe and sound. Sometime in the next couple weeks she asked us for another $50 for an unexpected cost in shipping... unbeknownst to her, my wife's father had passed during that time (part of the reason I wanted to get her a kitty friends).

We got a bit behind on emails/life in general, and missed the request. On Christmas Eve (I shit you not) we received the meanest, most scathing email I've probably ever seen - all about how she trusted us but betrayed her, and we were nasty people around the Holidays not covering all her costs and sending more updates about the cat and shit.

I have to admit it felt good to reply immediately saying 'sorry, we had a death in the immediate family, your money has been sent via e-transfer - regards - C & K'

Before you send any nasty messages you really should sleep on it and think twice.

[Noilly Pratt]

I put up some blue lights in the back in tribute to my wife's dad, who passed away this year -- they always had blue lights. In the front, just a few white lights in the window.

The tree looked like an LED explosion - I knew we'd be having a bunch of little dinners with friends, but usually I don't even get out the big tree (fake 6' one) unless we are hosting the family dinner.

The stars aligned, and I got rid of 2 way-past-their-prime laz-y-boy chairs so there was room.

[Hal-9000]

We adopted our cat from an old lady who couldn't keep him in November 2015. We sent pictures of us, our home, info on us, and picked up the little guy at the airport after paying her shipping costs plus the cost of a cat carrier all well in advance, emailed right away to say he was safe and sound. Sometime in the next couple weeks she asked us for another $50 for an unexpected cost in shipping... unbeknownst to her, my wife's father had passed during that time (part of the reason I wanted to get her a kitty friends).

We got a bit behind on emails/life in general, and missed the request. On Christmas Eve (I shit you not) we received the meanest, most scathing email I've probably ever seen - all about how she trusted us but betrayed her, and we were nasty people around the Holidays not covering all her costs and sending more updates about the cat and shit.

I have to admit it felt good to reply immediately saying 'sorry, we had a death in the immediate family, your money has been sent via e-transfer - regards - C & K'

Before you send any nasty messages you really should sleep on it and think twice.


I've mentioned it politely a few times within certain conversions when appropriate. Other than with the neighbor, I had to say it quite forcibly to someone on the phone who would not shut up about my Dad missing some appointment. They went on and on about how bad things could get for my Dad if he didn't contact this place and use their services. I finally just spoke loudly and interrupted with - He passed away in May from cancer, I don't think things can get any worse now. Silence on the other end and I will admit to not feeling bad about doing it.