I will try explain as best I can.
Two days ago (Friday), my dad brought a wild frog home in a bucket. He was visiting the family holiday house and said he wanted to show the frog to my brother’s five-year-old son when they came to visit. Then my dad left for a few days and left me with the frog...and no clear instructions. He is a disorganised person at the best of times.
The frog had water and a cushion was covering the bucket. The weather has been extremely hot over the past 3 days.
On the first day, I could hear the frog moving around in the bucket but didn't know how to manage it.
On day two, I still heard the odd thump. I was quite busy with my own things and anxious as i didnt know how to deal with it.
This morning it dawned on me that I hadn’t heard anything from the bucket. I started to panic that the frog had died or was very weak. I didn’t want to lift the cushion for fear I’d find a dead frog.
I rang my dad to ask what to do, but he gave me no advice... instead, he became defensive and blamed another relative for not stopping by to feed the frog worms.
So I went to ChatGPT for advice. It told me that the best thing to do would be to release it. Which is what I did...beside a lake. Thankfully it was alive but subdued.
Now father and brother (father of nephew) are angry at me...saying I had “no authority” to let the frog go and that I’ve ruined something for my nephew. My nephew wouldnt arrive until late last night so realistically he wouldn’t have seen the frog until tomorrow. My nephew also rules the roost and gets treats all the time...do it's not as though it was to be a life changing moment for him.
I genuinely didn’t think I was stepping on anyone’s toes. I didn't realise there would be such a fall out.
I've also spent the day tidying the family holiday house for my brother, and went food shopping for him this morning. Thankless.
For context: a fortnight ago, I stood up for myself over a long-standing unhealthy family dynamic that had been stealing my peace. I can’t help but feel that this strong reaction to the frog situation is less about the frog and more about me being “punished” for asserting myself.
Thoughts please?