B-Day Girl Cries Learning She'll Have Coveted Brother, Becomes His Only Carer Years Later – Story of the Day

A girl who really wanted a brother finally got her wish, but several awful things happened over the years, and she was forced to care for him almost by herself. That's when her mother realized something was wrong.

"Wait, everyone! Before we start singing for our sweet Sandy, we have something to tell you," Sandy's father, Luke, told everyone at the party, and his wife, Melinda, moved closer to him. "Sandy is getting a baby brother in a few months!"

Everyone clapped and cheered, and little Sandy started crying at the news. "Really?" she sobbed happily. She had begged to have a sibling for ages, and now, she would become a big sister. It was the happiest birthday she had ever had. However, the little girl had no idea what her life would become.

***

"SANDY!" her mother yelled. "PICK UP YOUR TOYS! AND THEN COME HERE AND HELP ME WITH THE DISHES!"

"Yes, mom," the little girl rushed to do as told.

Melinda was friendly to almost everyone but seemed to have a short fuse when it came to her five-year-old daughter.

"But it wouldn't matter if mom never came back, right?" Marcus commented in an innocent voice.

"You're going to have to be faster and do as I say when your brother comes along! We can't have this mess in the house! Sandy, you're doing it wrong! You're dropping everything! For God's sake! Are you stupid?" Melinda continued, watching as the little kid picked up too much and dropped most of it. But she was trying her best.

"Sorry, Mom," Sandy said quietly with her head down as she retrieved what she dropped.

"Sorry is not going to clean this house! Hurry up! I'm getting a backache! You need to learn how to do this!" Melinda berated.

Sandy didn't know that Melinda had been raised the same way. Her late mother had made her do chores since she could walk and talk. As a child, Melinda resented her mother terribly. She had even cut all contact with her, but now, it was like she had no idea she was repeating the same pattern.

Sandy was only five and doing too many things around the house already. Her father worked a lot to keep a roof over their heads, and by the time he came home most nights, every chore was finished. Therefore, Melinda had no more reason to scold or criticize Sandy, so he never saw those things.

Sandy's little brother, Marcus, came a few months later, and she loved him dearly. She was next to her mother almost all the time and when Marcus wailed at night, she would wake up and help out, bringing her mother water, a new blanket, or anything else she needed.

Eventually, she started doing even more for her brother — watching him while her mother took a shower and changing his diapers, which was hard because he was a big baby, but she managed. She also read him stories at night once Melinda put him to bed and was responsible for ensuring he didn't wake up.

Sandy had no idea that any of this was going to be hard. "You asked for a brother, so you're going to have to work," Melinda told her when she was sometimes too tired. The little girl internalized those words and believed them to be true.

Years passed, and she was almost solely responsible for her brother by the time she was ten. However, things got worse when Melinda got sick and had to be hospitalized for weeks.

Luke had to take extra weekend shifts at work to afford her treatments, so the kids were left in the care of Mrs. Sullivan, a 90-year-old neighbor who could barely do anything. She was not neglectful, just incredibly old and barely mobile. She would only sit on the couch and watch television.

Sandy did everything else. She made dinner, helped with Marcus' homework, cleaned the house, prepared lunches for school the next day, and even started doing the laundry independently. She had to use a stool to reach the dryer, but the girl had to learn to manage.

At night, both kids sat and prayed for their mother's recovery. "Amen," Sandy finished and ushered her brother to his bed.

"But it wouldn't matter if mom never came back, right?" Marcus commented in an innocent voice.

"What? It would matter! We want Mom back. We love Mom," Sandy replied, shaking her head and frowning as she lifted the blanket over her brother, tucking him in.

Marcus shrugged as he lay down. "Mom is always gone or busy with her phone. If she never came back, I would still have you," the boy told his sister, who was old enough to understand his words entirely. He didn't see their mother as his primary carer. Sandy was.

The girl told him goodnight and went to her room, where she sat all night and thought about it for a long time. About how her mother had treated her all her life and how awful it was.

What Sandy didn't know was that their father had heard it all.

***

"I… don't know what to say," Melinda responded while helping her husband pack her things from the hospital. The treatments had worked, and she was all better. But Luke told her what he had overheard from their children.

"He's not wrong, Melinda. I know Mrs. Sullivan watches them, but what can she do? Sandy is even doing my laundry now, and she's ten! Is this what we wanted when we decided to have children? Isn't this what your mother did to you?" Luke challenged, his eyes afflicted.

Melinda sat back down on the hospital bed as tears rose in her eyes. She looked down in shame but nodded. "You're right. I've been treating Sandy exactly like my mother treated me. Exactly like I promised I would never do! Oh my god," she wailed as Luke reached for her and embraced her.

"Honey, the good thing is that there's still time to change that. Let's break that pattern. Let's do better," Luke assured, and Melinda nodded rapidly against his chest.

"I promise," she sobbed, wiping her tears.

And Melinda kept her promise. She was shocked when she got home and got the biggest hug from Sandy despite how she had treated her. From then on, her chores were reduced. It was time for her to be a kid.

Melinda also cared more for Marcus, not allowing Sandy to do any of the parenting. It took some time, but things in their house got better. Sandy was still incredibly responsible, and her brother relied too much on her, but at least, at some point, the kid realized his big sister was not his mother.

Luke started spending more time at home and planned many family outings. They signed Sandy up for several extracurricular activities, which Melinda had previously said no to because she was needed at home. They also went to family therapy to learn how they could be better.

Melinda also had individual therapy because she needed to truly understand how to break the cycle her mother had started.

It was hard work. It didn't happen overnight. But Sandy never had to act like an adult or a parent in their home ever again.

What can we learn from this story?

• Parents need to let their children be children. All kids should have chores and some responsibilities, but they still have to be allowed to be kids.
• Going to therapy is the best way to learn how to break cycles. It took a big wake-up call, but Melinda realized she was acting just like her estranged, late mother, and she didn't want that for Sandy, so she did her best to change.

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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.