My Son Abandoned Me for Years, But Now He’s Back to Ask for Money, “Can’t You Just Get Over It? I Need This Money, Mom.”

 

Another day. Another quiet morning.

No one knocked on my door. No one called my name.

“My son and daughter-in-law have their own lives. They don’t have time for me, and I can’t make them remember. 

But I can’t sit here waiting. I need to do something for myself.”

David, my son…ever since he got married, things changed. His wife, Sian, was always polite, but I could feel it—there was no space for me in their life. They had their own family now.

Photo for illustration | Pinterest

I picked up the phone and dialed. Sian answered…

"Oh, hi, Mum!" she said.

"Hello, love. I was just wondering how you all are. It’s been a while."

"Oh, yes, sorry, we’ve been so busy. You know how it is with the kids' school, work, everything."

I nodded, though she couldn’t see me. "Of course. I just—well, I miss you all."

Silence. Then a little laugh. "Oh, Mum, you should get out more! Join a club or something. It’s not good to sit alone all day."

Not good. As if I chose this.

"Yes, maybe I will," I replied.

We spoke a few more minutes—small talk, nothing real. Then she had to go.

Photo for illustration | Pinterest

I put the phone down and sighed. 

I couldn’t make them care. I couldn’t make them remember me. But I could stop feeling sorry for myself.

“My son and daughter-in-law have their own lives. They don’t have time for me, and I can’t make them remember. 

But I can’t sit here waiting. I need to do something for myself,” is what I wrote down in my journal.

It is where I put the thoughts I can’t say out loud. The disappointments, the loneliness, the little aches of being forgotten. 

Photo for illustration | Pinterest

But it’s also where I remind myself, “Bad days don’t have to stay bad. I can turn them into something else. A lesson, a moment, maybe even an opportunity.”

So tonight, I write:

What’s going well?

✔ I am healthy.

✔ I have a warm home.

✔ I still enjoy baking.

(No action needed—these are blessings.)

What’s not going well?

✘ I feel lonely.

✘ My son and daughter-in-law don’t visit.

✘ I spend too much time waiting for them to remember me.

(Can I control this? Yes. Then I must take action.)

What have I been doing to resolve this loneliness?

"I wait. I hope for a call, a visit. But waiting changes nothing."

What negative thoughts have I been running in my head about this?

"Maybe they don’t care. Maybe I don’t matter to them anymore. Maybe I’m just a burden."

I pause. Are these thoughts true, or is loneliness making them louder?

There have been times when I felt like giving up. Accepting that this is just how life is now. But I didn’t. Why?

"Because deep down, I still want connection. I still believe in kindness. Maybe I’ve been looking in the wrong place."

I close the journal and glance at the cupcakes on my counter. Too many for one person.

Assessing my routine on a bad day, what do I do?

"Sit. Stare out the window. Feel invisible. What could I do instead?"

Take action

I wrap a cupcake in a napkin, slip on my coat, and step outside. 

Photo for illustration | Pinterest

Mr. Hughes lives a few doors down. His house is always quiet now. No visitors, no laughter.I place the cupcake on his doorstep, knock softly, and walk away.

The next morning, I open my door and find a small note waiting for me.

"Thank you. That cupcake made my day."

That night, I write again.

Photo for illustration | Pinterest

"Today, I didn’t wait. I reached out first. 

Loneliness knocked today, but I answered differently. 

Instead of waiting, I gave. And for the first time in a while, I don’t feel so alone."