One Saturday, a thirteen-year-old boy named Tim was hanging out with his friends at a local cafe. Tim and his friends would usually spend the entire weekend together, before meeting again the following week while in school.

That day, Tim’s mom Gloria wanted to change up his routine by inviting him to watch a new superhero movie with her. While it wasn’t her interest, she wanted to spend more time with her son and knew that he loved watching superhero movies.

Gloria kept calling Tim on his cellphone, but he wouldn’t pick up. So, she decided to make her way to the cafe, knowing that this was where Tim and his friends usually had lunch on Saturdays.

When she spotted Tim and his friends, she made her way to them, only to see Tim’s friends giggling. “Your grandmother’s come to pick you up, Tim!” they teased.

Tim glared at his mother and walked up to her to stop her from going any closer. “What are you doing here?”! he scolded her. “You’re embarrassing me in front of my friends!”

“Why am I embarrassing you, son?” Gloria asked. “I wanted to ask if you wanted to watch a movie with me. I want to be with you more, son, while I still can,” she smiled, trying to hold his hand.

Tim shrugged off her hand and refused to leave his friends. “Leave me alone, I’m with my friends,” he told her. “Please leave before more people notice you!”

Gloria walked back home sadly, wondering why Tim refused to be near her, especially around his friends. She spent the entire afternoon cooking up Tim’s favorite spaghetti and meatballs recipe, hoping he would make it home in time for dinner.

When he got home that night, it was already half past ten. Tim went straight to his room, not even acknowledging Gloria’s presence in the living room.

She followed him to his room and knocked on the door. “I waited for you,” she told him. “I made your favorite spaghetti and meatballs. Do you want some?” she asked him.

Tim shot her another look, the same one he gave her at the cafe. “I obviously don’t. I would have gone straight to the kitchen if I wanted to eat,” he told her. “Leave me alone, I’m tired.”

“What’s the matter, Tim?” Gloria decided to ask him. “Why is it that you don’t like being with me anymore? We used to be inseparable!”

“Please,” Tim begged again. “Leave me alone! You won’t like what happens next!” he threatened.

“What is it?” Gloria asked. “I’m worried about you, Tim. I barely know what’s going on in your life!” she said, trying to walk closer to him.

“You’re such an old, boring woman! Everyone thinks you’re my grandmother. Why did you even give birth to me?!” he said, irritated that Gloria kept pestering him.

Gloria felt a pain in her chest after hearing Tim yell at her that way. Before she could respond, Tim grabbed his backpack and ran out the door.

“Tim!” Gloria called out. “Where are you going?” she said, following him down the stairs, and out the front door.

Tim rode on his bike and left the street. Gloria tried calling out and chasing after him, but he was too fast. Then, she fainted in front of one of her neighbor’s houses.

When Tim gets home late that night, he sees a neighbor standing in front of their front door. “Where have you been, Timothy!” she yelled.

“Your mom wanted so badly not to tell you. But I think you deserve to know the truth, especially after what you’ve been putting her through,” his neighbor told him.

“Why do you care? Did my old mother ask you to wait up for me because she couldn’t wait to sleep?” he asked.

“You are so ungrateful!” the woman said, grabbing Tim by the collar. “You gave your mother a heart attack!”

“I didn’t ask her to give birth to me! Why did she force herself to have a child, now she’s upset that I’m not the son she wants me to be?” Tim said coldly.

His neighbor scoffed. “Give birth to you?” she said, pulling Tim to her home. “You want the truth? I’ll give you the truth so you stop talking rudely about your mother who has given you EVERYTHING!”

When they got there, she handed him a folder with documents regarding Tim’s adoption and treatment. “Your mom wanted so badly not to tell you. But I think you deserve to know the truth, especially after what you’ve been putting her through,” his neighbor told him.

Tim read through the papers and saw his adoption papers as well as the diagnosis of his cardiac disease. Gloria had put out a loan on her house to pay for his surgery and nursed him to life.

“Now do you have even an ounce of pity or gratitude for your poor mother?” his neighbor asked. “She’s done everything for you, and you’ve been absolutely horrible to her.”

Tim could feel the tears streaming down his face. He felt awful for how he had been treating his mother, realizing that she always had his best interest at heart.

He took his bike and rushed to the hospital where his mother was in. In tears, he asks the nurse to take him to the intensive care unit where his mom was recuperating.

Tim was heartbroken to see his mom with so many wires attached to her body. He rushed to her side, holding her hand. “I’m so sorry, mom,” he started to say. “I’ve been the worst son. Please, please get better. I promise we will spend a lot more time together,” he begged.

It took Gloria another two months before she recovered completely, and she needed to change her lifestyle to lower her risk of another heart attack. Since then, Tim joined her in exercises and prepared heart-healthy food for himself and his mom every single day.

What can we learn from this story?

• Cherish the time you have with your loved ones before it’s too late. Tim was an ungrateful teenager who only wanted to be with his friends. When he realized how much his mom had done for him, he had a change of heart and made sure to make the most out of his time with her.
• Parents usually hide their pain from their kids, but it doesn’t mean they’re not hurt. Tim never knew just how much his mom had sacrificed for him. It was only until she was fighting for her life in the hospital did he discover the sacrifices that Gloria went through to raise him.

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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.