Teen Is Ashamed to Invite Older Mom to Graduation until She Hears Her Voicemail from Hospital — Story of the Day

A teen girl thinks her old mother is not pretty enough to be introduced to her classmates' parents and cuts her off from her graduation ceremony. She regrets her actions not long thereafter, when she receives a voicemail from her mother.

Zoe was a little bigger than a peanut when Miriam stepped in to care for her. She raised the girl on her own and did her best. But unfortunately, that love wasn't enough for Zoe's heart.

The teen girl despised Miriam because she was older than most moms. For most of Zoe's high school, nobody knew she had a mother because Miriam didn't fit her 'standards' of a mother.

"Is that your grandma, Zoe?" one of her classmates asked when Miriam unexpectedly showed up at her school to pick her up. Zoe's face fell when she saw her and what followed was a huge fight about how Zoe was ashamed of Miriam…

"Why did you come to my school? Why can't you just leave me alone, Mom?" she screamed at her.

"But Zoe..." Miriam said defensively. "What's wrong if I want to pick my daughter up from school?"

"It's all wrong, Mom! Look at you. You look old! Everyone assumed you were my grandmother! You wear shabby clothes to work every day, your makeup doesn't hide your wrinkles, and you look terrible. The very least you can do for me is leave me alone!"

"Zoe!" gasped Miriam. "I didn't know you hated me so much!"

A mother-child bond is rooted in love and care, not necessarily in the womb.

"Hate is such a small word, Mom. I don't want you here," she snarled, slamming her bedroom door in Miriam's face.

Miriam was hurt that Zoe was embarrassed by her. She couldn't believe all her years of love and care for Zoe had resulted in this. Unfortunately, it was only the beginning of the disaster that awaited them...

Miriam walked away with a heavy heart, not wanting to believe that Zoe could be so dismissive of her. Deep down, she felt like she had failed, that the relationship she had cultivated with her daughter had come to nothing.

Perhaps I wasn't a good mother. Perhaps my upbringing was flawed!

After that day, everything changed. Zoe began avoiding Miriam, and she wouldn't even talk to her. Their dinners would be quiet, with no discussion of their days, and Zoe would rarely be home on weekends.

Miriam felt lonely and unloved. She feared that getting close to Zoe would push her further away, so she began observing the 'line' Zoe drew between them.

Miriam had given up on improving her relationship with Zoe, but she had not forgotten her responsibility as a mother. She would continue to prepare meals for Zoe, attend to her needs, and ensure she didn't miss out on anything.

However, sometimes, things can fall apart, even when we give our all.

Miriam arrived home from work early one afternoon when she heard voices from Zoe's room. She noticed Zoe's bedroom door was slightly ajar and saw one of her friends was home.

Miriam was tired, yet she knocked on the door and asked if they needed something.

"I made some pudding last night. You girls can have that if you want," she said sweetly.

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Please, Mom! We're not kids. We'll order a pizza later!" she said as she got up from the bed and slammed the door shut.

Miriam sighed sadly and turned to head to her room, but what she heard next stopped her in her tracks.

"...That's ridiculous, Amanda! I can't bring Mom to the graduation… I don't want to be the clown! Everyone will judge me when they see I have an OLD mother! I dunno why she had me so late!"

Miriam's eyes welled with tears as she overheard Zoe telling Amanda how embarrassed she was to invite her to the graduation ceremony.

I can't believe she's cutting me off… Where did I go wrong in raising her?

Miriam cried all night and didn't step out of her room for dinner. The next morning, Zoe noticed Miriam's car parked in their driveway and was surprised Miriam hadn't left for work. But she didn't think much about it and continued on her way to school.

Later that day, when she returned home and didn't find lunch on the table with a sticky note, as Miriam always did for her, Zoe became tense.

What's wrong? Is Mom sick?

Zoe went to Miriam's room but didn't find her there. That's when the doorbell rang, and their neighbor informed her Miriam was rushed to the hospital because she had suffered a stroke.

"Is she going to be okay?" Zoe asked her neighbor, who shook her head. "I don't know, dear. Let's hope for the best. You can come over to my house for lunch. Miriam has been a good neighbor and always helped me out."

A week passed after this, but Miriam didn't come home. Her condition was deteriorating, and Zoe was too embarrassed to pay her a visit. She hated herself for what she had wished for the night before Miriam was rushed to the hospital.

"I really don't want Mom to show up at my graduation! Can she just vanish from my life for one night? Please, God, help me out for once!" she had said a week ago.

Those words rang in Zoe's ears as graduation day approached. While Miriam was always so loving and caring to her, she was only rude to her in return.

Zoe stared at her gown on her bed, her makeup on her dressing table, and the heels she had bought for the special day after saving her pocket money. She sat at her dressing table to do her makeup, but when she saw her and Miriam's picture on the bedside table, she burst into tears.

"I'm such a terrible human!" she sobbed. "I was so self-centered that I didn't care about anyone but myself. Mom, I didn't want you to get sick. Really. I just didn't want you to attend the graduation. But now I'm just so alone without you. I don't deserve your love and care. You should hate me! I'm sorry. I'm really sorry…"

As she cried and thought about Miriam, the little bit of eyeliner in Zoe's eyes smudged. She eventually decided not to go to the graduation, but three hours before the event, she checked a notification on her phone and changed her mind.

Miriam had left her a voicemail, and Zoe dashed to the hospital after listening to it.

"Hello, my sweet baby. I'm sorry I'm sick and can't make it to your graduation. I know you'll look like a princess in the dress you bought yourself. You had been making little preps for your special day over a week, hun, and you should go. I love you. Let's talk after you're back. I must tell you something as I fear I don't have much time."

As Zoe arrived at the hospital, she dashed to Miriam's ward. "Sorry, you're not allowed in," a doctor stopped her, but she explained she was the patient's daughter, so he let her in for five minutes.

"Zoe? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be—"

Before Miriam would finish, Zoe ran up to her and threw open her arms around her. "I'm so sorry, Mom. I love and miss you."

"Oh my baby, I love you too!" cried Miriam, embracing her. "But honey, you're going to be late for your graduation."

"I don't care, Mom! You wanted to tell me something, right? I don't care about anything but you!"

"Zoe," Miriam said, gently holding her hands. "I'm not your mother…"

"What? Mom, what are you—"

"You were a newborn," Miriam began as she revealed a shocking truth to Zoe.

Zoe's hand went to her mouth in shock.

It turned out Miriam was not Zoe's biological mother. Miriam's daughter had left home for a modeling career in Europe and never returned. She didn't want a child tagging along, so she left her daughter, Zoe, with Miriam.

Zoe's father had died before she was born, and their extended family didn't want to care for her. Miriam decided not to abandon her granddaughter and raised her alone.

"And that's the truth, hun. Sorry that I kept it from you, but—"

"Who cares?" said Zoe. "I have only seen you caring for me all these years. You were there for me when my mom wasn't. You are my real mom, and I love you. And if I'm attending the graduation tonight, Mom, it won't be without you…"

Zoe requested permission from the doctor, and though it took a bit of persuasion, Miriam finally accompanied her in a wheelchair to the graduation ceremony. "She's my wonder woman!" Zoe proudly introduced her mother to everyone, which brought tears to Miriam's eyes. And miraculously, Miriam soon recovered.

What can we learn from this story?

• A mother-child bond is rooted in love and care, not necessarily in the womb. Miriam didn't give birth to Zoe, but she cared for her like a mother.
• If someone gives you love and respect, you should always give it back. Zoe realized this, albeit late.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a 76-year-old woman who fell in love but was ashamed to tell her son about it.

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