Caroline, a young woman with bright eyes and a lot of drive, had just gotten a job as a maid in New York City. The two of them had big hopes of becoming Broadway stars when they left Philadelphia. But first, they had to get a job to pay their bills.
Caroline’s new job was great because she liked cleaning and had time to work on her singing. Helen, her mother, didn’t like her plans to move to New York or her goals. She knew she had to do what her heart told her, even if it meant leaving her mother behind to watch over her.
Caroline found a framed picture in the office while cleaning her first client’s beautiful Manhattan house. It was her mother, but she was 18 years younger. Her heart skipped a beat. She didn’t know why there was a picture of her mother in this stranger’s house.
Richard, the landlord, walked into the room, and Caroline asked him about the picture. Richard told Helen that she was his lost love. He thought she had died in a bus accident while she was pregnant with his child.
Her whole world turned upside down. She knew her mother was still living but had been lying to her. Caroline thought that Richard might be her father as he told his story.
Caroline called her mother with Richard’s OK, and things started to come together. She told lies about Richard’s death and raised Caroline by herself. Richard had been looking for Helen for many years because he thought she had died.
There were more questions than answers at the gathering. Why did Helen lie about what she knew? What was her reason for not letting Richard meet his child?
Caroline thought about this new knowledge for a while and realized that her trip to New York wasn’t just about following her dreams; it was also about finding out who she really was.
What We Can Learn from the Story
Let your kids follow their dreams, even if it means giving up some things.
It’s possible that some parents don’t want what’s best for you. Find out the truth and go your own way.
To heal family scars, people need to forgive and understand each other.
Tell other people this story; it might motivate them or make their day better.
It’s good to remember that life is full of shocks and that the truth can be both shocking and freeing at times.
