Younger Brothers Want to Get Rid of Old Mom, Older Brother Shows Them Video from the Past — Story of the Day

Two younger brothers decide to put their old mother into nursing home, but the older brother teaches them a lesson.

Caroline was now 82, and her sons were all grown up and living their own lives. Her husband had passed away when she was just 46, but she had been so devoted to her three boys that remarrying was something she never considered.

Caroline lived alone in her big rambling old house, and only a few times a year did it come to life with the presence of her sons and their families. Now her sons had phoned to say they were visiting her on their own, and Caroline wondered what it was all about.

They arrived together late on a Friday afternoon and Caroline had prepared a slap-up dinner for them. All their favorite food, and even an apple pie with pecans for her youngest son, Roy.

There they were — Tom, Sam, and Roy. They looked so much like their father that tears came into Caroline's eyes. Tom gave her a bear hug, but Ron and Sam gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Mom!" Tom said grinning, "You look younger than ever!"

Caroline laughed. "You're an old liar, Tom! But come on in boys, I made us some dinner!" As she walked into the house, Caroline stumbled and Tom caught her elbow to steady her.

Roy sighed. "Really mom, you should get a walker. You stumble around like an old drunk."

Caroline flushed. "I do just fine, Roy, and I don't want any arguments today! Let's have dinner."

A few hours later Caroline looked around the table proudly. All her boys here, just like old times! "So, Sammy," she asked, "How did that job you did down in Tampa go?"

"Mom, you've already asked me that, not even twenty minutes ago!" Sam said sharply.

"Oh, I'm sorry Sammy!" Caroline apologized, "I guess I'm a little forgetful!" To hide her hurt and embarrassment, she got up and started clearing the table. Immediately, Tom was by her side helping her.

Caroline´s phone rang and she picked it up, but she accidentally refused the call instead of answering it. "Oh no!" she cried. "Now what do I do?" she turned to Roy. "Hun, can you show me how to see who called?"

Roy looked at his mother scornfully. "For God's sake, mom! We've shown you how that phone operates a dozen times! Can't you get anything right?"

Tom stepped in and took the phone from Caroline's hands gently. "Look here, mom," he said. "This is where you press and slide across. It says it was Gina Moretti. If you want to call her back, press here."

Caroline walked into the next room to call her friend and Tom looked at his brothers with disgust. "You two seem to have forgotten your manners!" he said.

"Come on Tom," Roy said. "The woman can hardly walk or operate a phone, and you want her to continue living alone?"

"She's clearly incompetent," Sam said. "She repeats herself constantly, honestly Tom, she'd be better off in a home!"

When we are young, our parents guide and protects us. They deserve the same love and support they once gave us.

Tom shook his head. "Come with me," he said to his brothers. He led them to the old family room and slipped an old tape into the VCR. "I want you to see who that woman in there is, and what she did for you."

Images lit up the TV screen. There was Caroline, looking incredibly young and pretty laughing as she served up slices of chocolate cake to dozens of children at a birthday party.

Then Caroline was holding a small boy's hands. "Come on honey, you can do it! Walk, one more step! That's it" Caroline cried as the boy walked on his own. Of course, just seconds later he fell, but Caroline was there putting her arms around him, kissing it better.

"That's me..." whispered Roy.

In another segment, Caroline was obviously busy making dinner, and a boy around five years old was trailing around her. "But mom, why is the sky blue?"

"Hun, it's the oxygen and the gases in the atmosphere that make it look blue," she answered.

"But why is it BLUE?" the boy insisted.

"Well," said Caroline, "I don't rightly know why it's blue and not yellow, but why don't we look it up after dinner, okay?"

She turned back to her pots and pans as the boy chanted at the top of his voice: "BLUE! BLUE! BLUE!"

Meanwhile, Sam said quietly, "That's me. She was so patient..."

Tom clicked off the VCR. "I've lost count of how many times mom taught me to tie my shoelaces or put on my socks. That woman in there whom you two have been treating so badly is a heroine.

"She was left alone to raise three boys, and she did it. She was holding down two jobs, but she always found time for picnics and playing ball, and answering endless questions.

"She is the most competent, hard-working person I've ever known and you want to shuffle her off to some kind of old age daycare? We owe her more than that!"

Sam was nodding. "Yes, I agree. We need to find another solution. One that allows mom to keep her pride and her independence."

"You're right guys," said Roy. "But I still worry about her being on her own..."

"As you know, Dina and I divorced three years ago," Tom said,. "And the kids are all in college, so I think I'll move back home with mom. My business is 100% online and I can do it from anywhere."

At that moment, Caroline came back after hanging up the call with her friend and was surprised when Ron, Sam, and Tom all suddenly decided they needed to hug her at the same time.

Caroline got to stay in her home, and to her delight, not only did Tom move in with her, but Roy and Sam started visiting a lot more often.

What can we learn from this story?

• When we are young, our parents guide and protects us. They deserve the same love and support they once gave us.
• Sometimes it's easy to forget how much we owe our family. Sam and Roy had forgotten how hard their mother had worked to raise them, and how loving and patient she had been.

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