While I was away at a funeral, I told my mother-in-law Brenda to help my girls get ready for the school ball. But the pictures broke my heart. My oldest daughter, Mabel, wore a tacky hot dog outfit, while her half-sisters looked beautiful in princess wear.
Brenda’s bias had been building up for a while. She would say things, not give Mabel her gifts, and not care about what she needed. I brushed it off, but my anger grew.
The last straw was the school ball. Brenda got in the way of Mabel’s dream of dancing in a princess dress. When I saw the pictures at my mom’s funeral, I felt so sad. My anger grew.
When I told Brenda about it, she said it was a joke. Aaron, my husband, stepped in and was very angry. We ran home quickly, determined to do something about it.
What Mabel said broke my heart: “I felt stupid.” I promised to fix it. But things got worse. The school put out pictures, and one of them went viral. The community came together to support Mabel and spoke out against Brenda’s acts.
The story was shown on a local TV station, and Brenda got negative feedback. The harm was done. Surprisingly, though, a store paid for Mabel to have a second princess-themed ball.
Mabel smiled in her beautiful princess dress as she was surrounded by love and support. Brenda said she was sorry, but the faith was lost. I hoped she learnt her lesson and now treats both of her grandkids the same.
As Mabel danced that night, I felt hopeful. I knew we’d get through this because Aaron danced with her. But the scars reminded me to keep my child safe from the harmful grasp of favouritism.
