Mom Abandons 2 Kids after Divorce, Looks into Their Eyes 7 Years Later to Give an Explanation

After her husband divorced her, a mom-of-two mysteriously disappeared one day, abandoning her 9-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son. The children had no clue where their mother went, but they wrote heartfelt letters to her, not knowing they would see her seven years later.

What's the clearest memory of your childhood? Most people vividly remember traumatic childhood experiences compared to happy moments. That is because when something hurts you badly, you think about it all the time and sometimes blame yourself for it too.

Watching your parents part ways after a messy divorce is one such scarring memory that haunts you forever. Many children go through this traumatic experience, and it's hard for them to heal unless they see a good therapist or, in this case, find closure by meeting their mother after seven years.

The Beginning of the End

Everything was going well in Daisy and Kris's life until the day their parents, Jim and Misty, decided to part ways. One day, the children woke up crying because they couldn't find their mother. The little siblings had searched the entire house, but Misty was nowhere to be found.

Feeling abandoned, the kids turned to Jim for comfort. With tears trickling down their cheeks, they hugged their father and asked him where their mother was.

After knowing that their mother had left forever, Kris and Daisy couldn't understand why she did that. The thought of living without their mother kept haunting them.

The Disturbed Children

Jim did everything to calm his children, but nothing worked. No one could replace the motherly love that they craved. They only wanted Misty to return and wrap her arms around them, not knowing that wouldn't happen anytime soon.

Soon, Daisy and Kris started blaming themselves for their mother's sudden disappearance. They thought they weren't good enough, and their mother didn't want to live with them.

After her mom left, 9-year-old Daisy had to look after 5-year-old Kris, who was too young to understand that his mother would never return. Instead of playing games like other kids her age, little Daisy fed her brother, put him to sleep, and did everything a mother would do to calm down her child.

Asking For Help

In 2007, a devastated Jim contacted Oprah Winfrey and asked her for help. She invited Jim and his kids on the show, aiming to get into the children's minds and sort things out for them.

In a heartbreaking episode of Oprah's show, the children cried hysterically while reading aloud the letters they had written for their mother after discussing their feelings with psychotherapist M. Gary Neuman. 11-year-old Daisy wrote:

"Dear Mom, I miss you so much... I miss baking cookies as a family and you helping us do our homework. I still love you, Mom, but what you did in the past makes me not love you so much like I used to."

The Blame

Neuman proved that the children blamed themselves for their mother's disappearance and tried to bring her back. During one of their sessions, Kris said he bought her a fake ring with his savings, but she didn't want it. Meanwhile, Daisy dressed up to look pretty, thinking Misty would return.

Little Kris craved to see his mother and talk to her again. He was just a kid when she left and didn't have vivid memories of her, but her absence left a void in his heart. In his heartfelt letter, he wrote:

"When I think of you and Daddy not living together, I feel so sad. I do not understand why you got divorced. Sometimes I dream about Dad being sad. About not having you around. I wish that you didn't get a divorce."

Finding Misty

Five years after appearing on Oprah's show for the first time, Daisy and Kris returned after the show's producers got a hint of Misty's whereabouts. Misty was serving time in a nearby jail after failing to pay child support and producing fake financial documents.

She had written a letter to Jim, telling him about her situation. Meanwhile, Oprah decided to reunite the kids with Misty by setting up a meeting. Before taking them to a safe place inside the jail, Oprah asked Daisy what she expected of the meeting. Daisy said:

"I need to know why she did what she did and to get the apology because I deserve it."

The Kids' Perspective

When Oprah asked if an apology from Misty would be enough, Daisy said it would take a long time before she could forgive her mother for abandoning her. The 16-year-old recalled missing her mother while watching other girls get their nails done with their moms and when she underwent natural body changes. She said:

"I'm the only girl in this house. How am I supposed to live like this?"

Meanwhile, Kris said he didn't consider Misty a "mother figure" anymore and didn't really know who she was. As a kid, he had given up on seeing her again. After talking to the children, Oprah headed out to see Misty, not knowing the mother would present a different story altogether.

Meeting Misty

Inside the jail building, Misty and Oprah sat on chairs and discussed what had happened in the past. When Oprah asked why she left her children, Misty claimed she never abandoned them. According to her, Jim had stopped her from meeting the kids and told them a different story. Misty said:

"I've been wanting to see them all these years."

Soon, Daisy entered the room and sat beside her mother while Misty covered her face with her hand. Tears trickled down her cheeks because it felt unreal seeing Daisy after seven years. On the other hand, Kris decided not to meet his mother because it was too overwhelming for him.

The Emotional Reunion

Daisy said she felt hurt meeting her mother after seven years because it reminded her of the times she needed Misty the most. She recalled how embarrassing it felt when Jim had to teach her how to do the "girl stuff." Daisy said to her mom:

"All my memories of you are terrible!"

With tears in her eyes, Daisy complained that she had to look after Kris like a mother because Misty didn't do her job. Daisy also claimed she saw her "cheating on her dad," while Misty explained that she and Jim had many problems.

Apologies and Promises

After Daisy vented her feelings, Misty broke into tears and apologized to her for everything that had happened in the last seven years. She said she always thought about Daisy and Kris but gave up too early.

Towards the end of their meeting, Misty promised she wouldn't give up on her kids now. She said she wouldn't let Daisy and Kris down, no matter what happened.

The story of this family reminds parents not to badmouth each other in front of their children if their marriage ends up in a messy divorce. As adults, they need to be responsible for not traumatizing their children with lies about their ex-partner. Share this story with people who went through a difficult divorce that disturbed their children.

Click here to read another story about a poor young lady who gave her son up for adoption, not knowing he would take a DNA test 23 years later.