Son Visits Mom’s Grave Regretting They Spent Little Time Together, Finds Her Farewell Letter – Story of the Day

A grieving son, unable to forgive himself for spending little time with his mother, could not hold back his tears after finding an envelope addressed "To my beloved son, John" on her gravestone.

It had been a miserable week for John. The guests left one by one, patting his shoulder and offering condolences. The 35-year-old stood by his mom's armchair, her usual resting spot, and stared outside at the broad daylight with sorrowful eyes.

"Mom, please come back," he said, tears welling up in his eyes. "I feel lonely without you. This grave silence is killing me...please come back. Please give me a chance to tell you how much I love you...Please, mom."

John felt his throat closing up. He sniffled between broken words and looked up at his late mom Carla's picture, blaming himself for what happened...

"I should have been with you. It's all my fault," sobbed John. He kept staring at their family photos, slowly recalling the times he wished he could have still been her little boy who did not know the smell of money and worldly pleasure.

"An envelope?" John exclaimed in shock. "It wasn't here when I came yesterday."

"Mom, you always asked me if I ate on time...You were always concerned about my health. But what did I do?" he wept. "I was only occupied with my business and trips. I did not visit you despite knowing that you needed me."

John closed his weepy eyes, his face resting on his mom's picture. It was also one of the last few photos John had clicked of her during his last visit almost nine months ago.

"I am such a terrible son...I am sorry, mom. I should have come when you called to celebrate your birthday."

Carla had known that her son was too busy at work. Although she did not want to disturb him or consume most of his time, she had yearned to cut her 65th birthday cake in John's presence. She dreamed about her big day, but an important business trip obstructed her joy.

"Mom, I know...I know... But I am sorry. I have to attend that meeting. I'll video call you while you cut your cake. Okay, mama?" John had told her when she asked him to attend her birthday celebration two months ago.

It shattered John's heart recalling how he turned down his mom's invitation.

"I knew your b'day was just an excuse...I knew you wanted to hug me, and I knew you missed seeing me," he cried. "I am such a bad son. Please forgive me, mom."

John could not stop blaming himself. He had been held up at work abroad. He only realized his mother was more important when he got a call from his aunt informing him of Carla's cardiac arrest.

Nobody at Carla's funeral had seen John cry so much before. In fact, he never cried because his mother never gave him reason to. She raised him into a successful adult despite being widowed and never gave him reason to complain or regret anything.

Carla loved John so much that she sent him to pursue his dreams when he told her he got a good job abroad. She was such an understanding and caring mother.

But John took his mother's love for granted. He hardly visited her and became more occupied with his work. But he made sure to call her every day because it was the least he could do. It was not that he didn't want to be with his mother. He was just after making more money.

The clock struck one in the afternoon when John snapped to the present and remembered he had to visit his mom's grave. He slipped on his overcoat and drove to the cemetery with a bouquet.

It had been a week since his mother's death, and John felt lonely. He just wanted to spend some time near her in silence.

He approached Carla's grave, slowing down as he observed the flowers atop her tomb had lost their freshness and were drooping. He tried to be calm, but a weird feeling of pain climbed up his gut and burst through his eyes.

"Mom, please forgive me...I am so sorry. I wish I could go back in time and be your little boy again," sobbed John. "Mom, I'm hungry. Won't you ask me if I ate anything?"

He rubbed his teary eyes. He had cried so much that his eyes were exhausted and red. He stared at Carla's grave until something beneath the withered flowers caught his attention.

"An envelope?" John exclaimed in shock. "It wasn't here when I came yesterday."

He lifted the rock that kept the envelope in place and picked up the envelope.

"What is it?" he mumbled as he dusted the petals off the envelope. He held his mouth in awe after reading: "To my beloved son, John."

His heart began to race as he tore the envelope open and pulled out a letter that would later strike his heart with several emotions. It was from his mother.

"Aww, mama, please tell me this is unreal. I cannot bear this," he sobbed as he began to read Carla's farewell letter.

"John, my baby, I know this would reach you when I would have already united with your daddy in heaven," read the first line. John could not hold back his tears as he continued reading.

"Son, we may have barely met in months, but this distance strengthened our relationship. I know you will be heartbroken after I'm gone, but sweetheart, I don't want you to blame yourself. You did everything to make me smile. So please, don't regret anything. I may not be with you when this letter reaches you, but please stay strong because my blessings and well wishes are always with you. Lastly, please thank my close friend Edith for delivering this letter to you as I wished. Love, Mama."

John ran his fingers on his mom's words and cried. It was the only last memory he had of her. He tucked it into his blazer, not wanting his tears to smear his mom's last words.

He sat near Carla's grave, engulfed by silence and the smell of roses in his hands. He placed the bouquet he brought on her tomb and gently rubbed the headstone, asking his mom for forgiveness.

What can we learn from this story?

• Children should spend more time with their parents. John was constantly busy at work, so he did not have time to visit his mother. Though he called her daily, his presence would have made a bigger difference.
• Tomorrow is uncertain, so express your love for your parents while they are with you. John blamed himself for not visiting his mother when she was alive. He begged for a second chance to mend his mistake, but it was too late. Ultimately, he was left with her grave and a farewell letter but never got another opportunity to express his love for her.

A son who never had the time to visit his lonely mother canceled an important business trip to meet her. He could not hold back his tears after witnessing a heartbreaking sight at the hospital. Click here to read the full story.

This piece is inspired by stories from 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.