Older Lady Feeds Starving Boy on Halloween, Sees Image of Lost Son as He Takes off His Mask — Story of the Day

An elderly woman who lives a secluded life opens her door to a starving boy on Halloween and feeds him. When the boy removes his mask, she clutches her chest in disbelief. The kid is her lost son's spitting image.

"Trick or treat!" chimed the group of squeaky voices outside Merelyn's door, but she didn't answer. Instead, she closed the drapes in her living room and sat on her couch, grumbling about how the kids were giving her a headache.

73-year-old Merelyn had cut herself off after her only son, Adam, went missing. Years ago, she had received communication from the Army informing her that he had not been found dead nor was he among those released from captivity. Something inside her had died the moment she received the terrible news.

For weeks after that, Merelyn didn't get out of bed, and when she did, she had changed. She could no longer stand socializing or being happy. How could she be happy when her son was not there with her?

But that day, Merely heard a voice outside her door that broke her seclusion. It compelled her to open the door. Little did she know what awaited her…

Merelyn was glad the kids left soon after she didn't answer her door. She could now relax, she thought. But shortly after, she heard a knock on the door.

"Who is this now? I truly hate this ridiculous trick-or-treating! I hate all these celebrations!" she grumbled as she walked to the door.

She looked through the door's peephole and saw a thin boy standing on her porch. He was wearing a mask and holding a pumpkin basket in his hands, which irked Meleryn.

"Get lost!" she shouted from inside. "GET LOST! And tell every kid in this neighborhood that there are no treats for anyone here! Why the hell can't you kids just disappear!"

There was silence for a moment before she heard the boy's sad voice. "I don't want candies. Can you please get me something to eat? My siblings and I are starving. We haven't eaten in days…"

There was something about the boy's voice that moved Merelyn. She didn't understand why she didn't feel like turning him away. "He's hungry, and I can't shoo him away..." she thought.

With a heavy heart, Merelyn opened the door and invited the boy inside. "Come in. I'll make you some sandwiches," she said.

The boy thanked her and sat in the living room while Merelyn got busy in the kitchen. Once she was done, she served the boy a sandwich and milk and packed some for his siblings.

You can't change the past, but you can always make your future better.

"You need to take off that silly mask to eat, boy!" she said stiffly. "Can't believe kids are so stupid these days!"

When the boy removed his mask, Merelyn shuddered. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her heart started to pound quickly as the boy took a bite of the sandwich and smiled at her.

The kid… was a vivid image of her lost son. How was that possible?

"Who—who are you?" she asked him, tears gathering around her eyes. "Who are your parents, boy?"

"My name is Ethan. My dad died a few months ago, so it's just mom and my siblings at home."

"What was your father's name?" she asked. "Was it...Adam?"

"Oh!" The boy put down the sandwich and nodded. "Yes. How do you know my dad's name?"

A shiver ran down Merelyn's spine as she heard that. "Dear Lord, what is going on?" she wondered helplessly. "Is it possible that this kid…is my Adam's son? Oh, what do I do?"

Merelyn had to take a deep breath before she could say anything. "Where do you live, Ethan?" she eventually asked. "Can you take me to your house? I'd like to meet your mother."

He smiled. "My mom would love to meet you too, miss…"

"Call me Merelyn," she said. "Just Merelyn."

"Okay, Merelyn," he said with a smile as he took a big bite of the sandwich and a sip of the milk.

Merelyn could hardly wait for Ethan to finish his meal. She had to know for sure if he was indeed Adam's son and why she wasn't aware of this.

***

It turned out Ethan lived only a couple of blocks away from Merelyn's house. When they arrived, a frail young woman was sitting on a chair on the front porch. The dark bags under her eyes suggested she hadn't eaten or slept well in a long time.

"Who is she, honey?" Ethan's mother asked him.

"She's Merelyn, mom," Ethan said. "She helped me when I said I was hungry. She made us sandwiches. She's very kind."

"Oh, did she? Thank you, Merelyn," said Ethan's mother. "You didn't need to take the trouble, though. I'm sorry my health isn't in the best shape right now, and we're kinda struggling. I'm Lizy. Please come on in."

Merelyn pressed her memory, but the name Lizy didn't ring any bells.

"I'm going upstairs, mom. I'll share the sandwiches with Tom and the others!" Ethan said and disappeared.

***

As Merelyn stepped into Lizy's living room, she could no longer hold back her tears. She saw the wall lined with Lizy and Adam's pictures.

"Who are you? How do you know, Adam?" she cried helplessly. "Adam is my son! Where is he? Do you know anything about him? Please, please tell me where he is. I haven't heard from him in years…"

Lizy's eyes widened in shock. "You're Adam's mother?"

The older lady nodded, sobbing.

"Merelyn, I'm so sorry…." Lizy said. "I think you should have a seat first. Please…"

As Merelyn sat down, Lizy held her hands and said, "I'm sorry you had to go through this, Merelyn. Adam was in a terrible state in his last days…" she began. "I used to work as a nurse when I met him. He'd come to the hospital where I worked after sustaining a severe head injury. After the incident, he had no recollection of who he was."

"Seeing his uniform, I guessed he was a soldier. But he had no recollection of it either. His name... he once told me he'd like to be called Adam, so I called him that. I didn't even know if it was his real name."

"While looking after him back then, we fell in love. I never asked him much about his old life because that triggered his trauma, and he'd get very anxious. He found a regular job at a store after he was discharged and just moved on. Then a year later, we got married and built our family together. He was a wonderful husband and father...he really was."

"Sadly, we lost him to cancer a few months ago, and we moved here after that...this is my late parents' house. I never knew he had a mother. Maybe I should have tried to find his family...I apologize, Merelyn. I know I can't take away your pain, but please let me know if there's anything I can do for you."

"This has to be a lie!" Merelyn cried. "It's all a lie, isn't it? My Adam...he is alive...he is—"

"Merelyn..." Lizy gently hugged her. "I'm sorry for your loss. I'm really sorry..."

"Oh, God..."

Merelyn sobbed until her heart felt better. She sobbed until the realization dawned on her that her son was not coming back. "Where are the other kids?" she suddenly asked. "I think I need to see them."

"They're upstairs. Are—are you okay, Merelyn?"

"There's no point in dwelling on the past, dear," Merelyn said with a heavy heart. "Nothing will bring my son back. That still breaks my heart, but I would love to meet my grandchildren. I'm hoping you don't mind..."

Merelyn moved on from her loss. She embraced Lizy and her children, leaving the past behind her. Why? Because nobody was at fault for what happened. A tragedy had separated Merelyn from Adam, but she wouldn't give up on the chance God had given her to unite with her son's family.

Having Merelyn around changed Lizy's life too. She and the children had been living off their savings since Adam's death because she couldn't leave them home alone and go to work. With Merelyn's help, she was able to return to her job, knowing the children were safe at home with their grandmother.

Miraculously, an accidental Halloween encounter united the family after a painful separation of several years. "I hope that consoles your heart, Adam," Merelyn said one day when she paid him a visit. "Don't worry. Lizy and your children are happy, and so am I."

What can we learn from this story?

• You can't change the past, but you can always make your future better. Merelyn decided to embrace Lizy and her children, leaving the past behind her. Doing so healed her broken heart.
• A small act of kindness can sometimes turn several lives around. Merelyn's generosity in feeding a hungry Ethan united her with her son's family.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about an orphan girl who visited her mom's grave every week and met her mother's carbon copy there one day.

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