Though our society might shame people for remarrying, it is amazing how so many kids are coming forward to encourage their single moms and dads to find a life partner. Recently, a daughter of a single mother shared her story with HoB that showed not only her mother’s struggle in a bad marriage but also how she supported her mother in finding love again.
Sharing her hard-hitting and inspiring story, this daughter mentioned how her mother struggled in an abusive marriage:
“My father wasn’t a good man; he’d drink and fight with Mom all the time. They’d argue about him wasting her hard-earned money; mom was the sole breadwinner. So even though I was just 5, I’d defend her–‘Don’t talk to Mom like that,’ but he’d ask me to not interfere. When I turned 7, mom left me at Nana-Nani’s because of our finances–I only went back on weekends.
6 years passed, but my father didn’t change. Once, Mom called Nani at midnight, sobbing; he had stolen her money and manhandled her. I was terrified. When I went home, I told mom, ‘You don’t have to live with him if he treats you badly.’ Their fights intensified. One day, I don’t know what got into her, Mom left him and said, ‘We’re never going back there’; I was so relieved. She filed for divorce.”
Though the filing of divorce helped the family to take control of their lives it wasn’t easy. While sharing the details further, the daughter shared:
“Nana-Nani helped us out, but 3 years later, Mom had saved enough to buy us a place of our own! But when I was in the 10th, Mom lost her job. It was very stressful–along with juggling the house, our education, mom had the divorce proceedings. My father would still ask her for money.
But Mom never complained. She started from scratch and after 2 months, bagged a position in a reputed firm. Finally, they got divorced officially; she had to pay him a huge sum to get him to agree to the divorce.”
After the divorce, the daughter realized how lonely their mother was and how she helped her mother to find love again:
“After, it was just me, my brother, and Mom. I thought our family was complete, but only as I started growing older, I thought–‘What would happen to Mom after my brother and I move out?’, ‘Who’d take care of her?’ I realized she could get lonely; it hit me harder when I started dating.
So, I encouraged her to find a partner and made a profile for her on a Shaadi app. She said–‘I’m in my 50s, who would want to be with me?’, ‘How can I trust him?’ But I persuaded her, ‘You have to get out and meet new people.’
It took months, but I pestered her until she agreed. Soon, she met someone! After, she came home and said–‘He’s very caring’; I hadn’t seen Mom that happy in long! She introduced me and my brother to him and his son; there was zero awkwardness! And he spoke to Nana-Nani with the utmost respect.”
And, after 2 months later, the couple decided to tie the knot and start a new phase of their life.
“2 months later Mom blushed as she sat us down and said–‘We’ve decided to get married!’; we were literally screaming and jumping with joy. From the venue to Mom’s outfits, I arranged everything.
Dressed as a bride, when Mom took the pheras, I couldn’t stop crying; I was just so happy. After the wedding, Mom’s husband came to me and said, ‘Call me Dad’; Until that day, I called him uncle. That was our moment–I’d never called anyone ‘Dad’ before him. And 3 years later, on my wedding, Mom and Dad did my Kanyadaan; life had come full circle.”
This amazing daughter ended the story with a very profound life lesson:
“So yes, mom and I have both seen each other as brides. What bigger proof that life is full of second chances and just when you think things won’t get better…they do.”
At IFORHER, we wish both mother and daughter loads of happiness in their life. We also hope many more would seek inspiration from this mother-daughter duo and won’t shy away from taking second chances in life!
