Boy Is Ashamed to Invite Grandma to School Play Because She's a Cleaner, Realizes His Mistake in the End — Story of the Day

An orphaned boy decided not to invite his grandmother to his school play as he was afraid his classmates would find out she worked as a cleaning lady. In the end, he discovers something that makes him regret his decision and beg for forgiveness.

Ryan Sanford is an 18-year-old high school senior who was orphaned after his parents died in a car crash when he was only two years old. Since then, his maternal grandmother, Elsa, raised him as a single parent.

Ryan loved his grandmother dearly. He had a wonderful childhood despite not having much in life. His grandmother always taught him to enjoy the little things and to be grateful for what they were blessed with.

The boy had no recollection of his parents because he was too young when they passed away. However, Elsa made sure to keep their memories alive in Ryan's mind by sharing wonderful stories about them. She would constantly show him pictures of them to make sure he never forgot them.

Through the years, Elsa tried her best to provide her grandson with everything he needed. She used to work as a corporate secretary and it paid the bills.

After she retired when Ryan was 15, she realized she would need a bit more money for their daily expenses. She had already allocated a huge portion of her savings to Ryan's college fund, so she decided to take on a part-time job to cover the bills.

Ryan did not approve of his grandmother's part-time job. She worked as a cleaning lady at a nearby park and he was embarrassed about it. He was afraid one of his classmates would see his grandmother and think lowly of them.

One day, Ryan was cast as the lead role in a school play. Everyone in the cast invited their parents to the grand opening night, but Ryan was too ashamed to invite his grandmother.

Unfortunately for him, Elsa saw a flyer for the program while she was cleaning Ryan's room. She confronted him about it, saying she would love to attend.

"You won't be attending, grandma," he told her.

Elsa wanted to understand why Ryan wouldn't allow her to visit his school. Upon insisting on finding out why, Ryan finally broke. "It's because I don't want my friends to find out you're a cleaning lady!" he said with a slightly loud tone.

Elsa was taken aback. She was hurt, and could not find the words to respond to her grandson. Instead, she silently retreated to her room and cried all night long.

Little did Ryan know, Elsa was working because of him. If she had the choice, she would rather stay home and enjoy her retirement, but she knew she had to earn money so that she and Ryan could continue living comfortably.

The old woman had been experiencing aches and pains, but she shrugged these off and took pain relief medicines so she didn't have to stop working. This eventually took a toll on her, and she was rushed to the hospital.

That night, Ryan had to find some documents for her hospital admission. While searching through her filing cabinet, he came across an old newspaper clipping about a grandmother who taught her young grandson to walk again after being injured in a car crash that killed his parents.

Ryan instantly knew that the woman in the newspaper was his grandmother and that he was the young boy who had learned to walk again. He began to cry, realizing how cruel he'd been to his grandmother who wanted nothing more but to give him everything he could possibly need.

As soon as he got his grandmother's documents, he rushed to her side and begged for forgiveness. "I've been so selfish, grandma, when all these years, you were always thinking of me. Thank you for raising me. I'm sorry for disrespecting you, and I promise to work hard so you no longer have to and we can just enjoy life together," he sobbed.

Ryan decided to skip his school play to be by his grandmother's side at the hospital. However, when his teacher learned about it, she postponed the show altogether.

When Elsa recovered from the hospital, Ryan surprised her by taking her to his school. She was seated in the front row of the auditorium, where a special marking was made for her wheelchair.

"This show is dedicated to my selfless, hardworking, loving, and beautiful grandmother, Elsa Sanford!" he said before they started the program.

Elsa was in tears seeing Ryan up on stage. She was the proudest person in the room and was treated like a VIP. She danced with Ryan in her wheelchair and he smiled at her multiple times throughout the show, much to her delight.

What can we learn from this story?

• Never be ashamed of those who were beside you through it all. Ryan was ashamed of his grandmother's job, oblivious to the fact that she was working because of him. In the end, he learned that his grandmother would do anything and everything for him and that's something to be proud of.
• Respect your elders. Ryan thought more about what his friends thought of him than his own grandmother's feelings. He hurt her feelings, and he had to beg for her forgiveness after realizing he had been selfish.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a girl who bans her single mother from attending her graduation after finding out she worked as a cleaner.

This story is inspired by the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.