It’s been thirteen years since my son Daniel left me. He left me with debt, illness, and a broken heart. He came back yesterday with bags and a smile, but the hurts from the past were still there. It made me feel uneasy to think about the day he left while I was lying in bed.
I found a note on his pillow the morning after he left: “I’m going, Mom.” Do not look for me. I’m not going to come back.” I was stressed out, lonely, and having a hard time dealing with my long-term illness and the debt my late husband Robert left behind.
After that, the days went by quickly. Daniel was nowhere to be found when I tried to get in touch with him. I had to deal with my problems on my own, working several jobs to make ends meet and going to therapy to control my sickness.
As the years went by, I slowly started to put my life back together again. I paid off my bills, kept going to therapy, and found comfort in my routine. However, the void stayed, and I often wished Daniel would come back.
Later that night, he knocked on my door with two bags and a shy smile. He said sorry for leaving and talked about how hard it was for him to deal with drugs and gaming. I was torn between anger and sympathy as I listened.
I could tell he had changed when we sat down to dinner. He had wide shoulders and eyes that were sunk in. When I asked him if he was okay, he said yes and told me about his plans to start over.
But that night, as I lay in bed, I heard strange sounds. Daniel was going through my savings, which was painful because I had worked so hard to save that money. I told him to leave, and he did. This broke me even more.
I learnt that I had to put myself first and get real care while I was crying. I called Dr. Chen because I was ready to get help from a support group and go to therapy. Daniel’s choices could no longer run my life; it was time to heal and move on.
