Lady of 87 Spends Thanksgiving Alone in Subway, ‘Be Our Guest,’ Squeaky Voice Says from Behind — Story of the Day

An old lady compelled to spend Thanksgiving alone in a subway is startled when a voice behind her says, "Be our guest." She turns around to see a pretty young girl behind, utterly oblivious that the girl is someone special.

87-year-old Harriet was a cheery woman until her husband Marcus died of a heart attack three years ago. As Marcus was buried under the Earth, Harriet's vitality was also buried somewhere deep from where there was no coming back.

When Harriet returned home after Marcus' funeral and slept on their bed, she could still smell him. How could God be so cruel and take him away? Hadn't Marcus promised her to stay by her side always? He had broken his promise. Harriet's heart couldn't bear that.

Soon after, Harriet started having trouble remembering things and was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Her old memory began to fail her, and she feared losing Marcus' memories the most...

One morning, Harriet woke up and checked the diary she always kept by her bedside. After her diagnosis, she wrote everything there. It helped her a lot whenever she felt she was missing something.

When she saw it was Thanksgiving, Harriet's eyes welled up. She had no one to celebrate it with. Her friends were scattered across the country, she and Marcus never had any children, and she knew her neighbors would be busy with their families.

"Darling…" she whispered to her late husband in tears. "Should we have tried more for children? I should've stressed about us adopting, at least. It's all my fault…"

When Marcus and Harriet discovered they couldn't have children, they decided their love for each other was enough. But now Harriet regretted that.

"But no, I won't be sad!" Harriet consoled herself. "Today is a special day. I should be thankful to the Lord for what I have."

So Harriet forced a smile on her face and decided to spend the day at the place where she'd met her dear husband Marcus, the love of her life. While she had difficulty remembering things, she would never forget where she met her love.

Harriet decked herself up in a lovely outfit and the fur coat Marcus had gifted her and walked to the subway. She held a cup of her favorite coffee in one hand and a meal she had ordered with the coffee in the other. The restaurant had advertised it as a Thanksgiving special.

The kindness and love one gives to others come back in surprising ways.

Harriet sat on the subway stairs, said a quick prayer, and sipped her coffee. She saw people getting off the train and hugging their loved ones, and despite her assurances to her heart that everything was fine, tears rose in her eyes.

"Oh, it's a beautiful day. Why can't I feel happy, Lord?" she voiced her worries. She took Marcus' photo from her wallet and began talking to him as if he were alive.

"I miss you, darling. You see, despite everything, I can't be happy. Not having company today feels horrible. Oh, I wish we could spend more time together..."

Suddenly, a squeaky voice behind her said, "Be our guest. We would love to have you over!"

"Who is that?"

Harriet turned around, startled by the voice, to see a pretty young girl with a big smile behind her. "Were you talking to me, child?" she asked, puzzled, and the girl nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. Would you like to join my mom and me for Thanksgiving dinner? I'm sorry, I overheard you talking about being alone…"

Harriet was surprised. Who was this young girl inviting her?

Soon, a woman appeared behind the young girl, and Harriet furrowed her brow. "Hi, Mrs. Morgan," the woman said. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here! I recognized you as soon as I left the train! Oh, it IS you!"

Harriet had no idea who the woman or the girl was. How did they know her?

"I'm sorry, but have we met before? My memory is not in the best shape," she explained of her Alzheimer's. Then the woman introduced herself, and Harriet teared up.

"Do you recall working as a teacher?" the woman asked. "I'm Lydia. This is my daughter Isla, Mrs. Morgan. You remember the girl who always troubled you and scored the least on your tests, yet you believed in her. Does that ring any bells?"

"Oh, darling!" Harriet smiled through tears. "It's been so long! I had no idea my pupil would remember me! Lydia, my dear...Yes, now I remember! Oh, you still remember me."

"How could I possibly forget you, Mrs. Morgan? You always believed in me and fought with my parents to get me into the college of my choice. And it's because of you that I'm a successful architect today. I never had the opportunity to thank you personally. Please join us for Thanksgiving celebrations if you don't mind. It would be a pleasure to have you over."

Harriet couldn't say no. She joined Lydia and her family, and it was one of the best Thanksgiving dinners she'd ever had. The aroma of the roast turkey, mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, and pie transported Harriet back to happier times.

And before the dinner, when they all prayed together, Harriet thanked God for it.

"Thank you, Lord," she said in her prayer. "Thank you for sending me a loved one so I wouldn't be lonely. I am grateful for what I have."

After that day, Harriet started visiting Lydia and her family often. Lydia was saddened to learn Harriet was alone, and since then, the two women have grown close like family.

What can we learn from this story?

• The kindness and love one gives to others come back in surprising ways. Harriet was a wonderful teacher who believed in her most mischievous and troublesome pupil, and that kindness and love came back to her in the form of a lovely Thanksgiving dinner.
• Have faith in God and be grateful. Despite feeling sad, Harriet cheered herself up and decided to be thankful for what she had. Her faith was rewarded, and God sent her a loved one so she wouldn't be alone on Thanksgiving.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who sheltered an abandoned old lady in a park and learned she was the bio mom he'd been looking for all along.

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.