The mother said she “felt bad about going without her, especially since she was so excited to see all the changes to the resort she had been going to since she was only a year old”.
It was meant to be a “nostalgic” trip to Turks and Caicos. Photo / Getty Images
However, Maguire said she looked forward to the “trip down memory lane” – even if she had to do it alone.
She went on to explain that the daughter has a history of forgetting things and has worked on that in the past, to some success – although clearly not this time.
Maguire also said that the trip alone allowed her to connect with other travellers and she eventually stopped feeling guilty about it.
The essay made its way on to social media, where it generated a lot of debate.
While some felt sorry for the daughter, others understood the “tough love”, particularly given the cost associated with the trip.
“I don’t get why this is even a story. Would you blow off a hugely expensive trip because your daughter is an idiot? It’s Turks and Caicos. It’s not like they’ve got daily commuter flights,” one person said.
“I mean I wouldn’t post about it but yeah I’m not out all that money cause my kid did something dumb,” another person commented.
“That daughter just learned two lessons: always check your passport and choose the nursing home very carefully,” another social media user said.
“Honestly, I’m on the Boomer’s side on this,” someone else wrote.
Others had different views on the matter, saying the mother showed the daughter that she prioritised her pleasure over time with her child.
“Isn’t the whole point of the trip to spend time together? Guess if you are rich and spend all your time together and daughter is irresponsible, there could be a valuable lesson, but she also learned when you screw up your family ditches you to prioritise pleasure,” one user said.