When Arnold sees his impoverished mother at his wedding, he becomes angry because he told her not to come. She presents him with a gift and offers a toast, and Arnold starts crying and falls to his knees shortly after.
“Hey, look, someone is leaving the café smiling. Just see her blush!” Diana’s boss said as everyone in the kitchen started laughing.
“We’ll be there, Miss Diana. What time is the wedding?” a coworker asked as others gathered around Diana, who kept blushing.
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“It’s at 11 a.m. this Sunday. I hope to see all of you at the church,” Diana replied.
The woman was a 60-year-old cleaner at the café. She had taken half a day off to buy the best wedding outfit for her only son, Arnold. Diana had spent a long time shopping for a blue suit. It was quite pricey, but she didn’t mind. “My son should look his best!” she thought.
Diana had spent all her savings on her son’s suit and was eager to see his reaction when she surprised him at home.
“I can’t wait for him to get married!” Diana thought. She had been anxiously waiting for this moment since Arnold told her about plans to marry his girlfriend, Masha.
“Son, look what I got for you!” Diana burst into their home, holding the suit and smiling brightly. “I’m sure you’ll love it! Can you try it on? The seller said I could exchange it if it doesn’t fit.”
### Arnold went to throw his mother’s gift away, thinking it was ‘trash,’ but her voice on the microphone stopped him.
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She pulled the suit from its bag and showed it to Arnold, who frowned. He didn’t look happy.
“I’m not wearing such a plain suit on my wedding day. I’m marrying a rich girl, and I need to look my best. That cheap suit would look tacky.”
Tears began filling Diana’s eyes. She acted as if she was okay, but her son’s words made her silent. She felt disappointed and her heart sank.
What hurt her most was when Arnold said: “And one more thing… I don’t want you at my wedding. My fiancée’s rich family will be there, and I don’t want you to ruin my image. People will ask what you do, and I don’t want to tell them you’re just a cleaner.”
Diana couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. She rushed to her room and locked herself inside. She cried all day because she felt deeply hurt. Arnold was too busy to check on her and left early to prepare for the wedding. The celebration was in two days.
It was Sunday—Arnold’s big day he had been waiting for. Despite her son’s orders, Diana refused to miss this special occasion. She gathered herself and chose her nicest dress from her wardrobe, then prepared herself.
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“You don’t understand, but I have to come to see this moment, son. I can’t miss your wedding,” she whispered, looking at herself in the mirror.
Diana took along an old ceramic vase she wanted to give as a gift. When she arrived at the church, she saw her coworkers and boss there. She felt happy and momentarily forgot Arnold’s request for her not to attend.
“Hello, Miss Diana! You must be the happiest mother alive!” her boss commented.
Diana smiled and entered with the heavy gift box in her hands. She watched as the bride and groom exchanged rings and kissed. Though she wanted to, she couldn’t stop her tears from flowing. She was overwhelmed with happiness. “I did it!”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Flickr/claytron (CC BY-SA 2.0)
After the wedding, an elegant reception was held. Many wealthy guests arrived to greet the newlyweds. Arnold saw his mother approaching and was taken aback. His eyebrows raised in disgust. “Why is she here? I told her not to ruin my day,” he thought.
“Congratulations, dear! You both look fantastic! Best wishes!” Diana said, handing her son the gift.
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Arnold looked around and saw the cameras capturing the moment. Not wanting to cause a scene, he hesitantly took the gift from her. He opened the box partially and saw the vase inside. “She gave me an old vase from the house? How cheap!” he muttered.
He turned away to discard what he thought was trash, but her voice on the microphone stopped him. Arnold’s face turned pale with shock. He had no idea that a 25-year-old secret his mother was hiding would be exposed that day.
“Twenty-five years ago, just before my best friend passed away…” Diana began, looking up, tears forming in her eyes.
She quickly looked up at the ceiling as her voice trembled. “She gave me this vase and asked me to give it to her son on his wedding day. It was a gift from her late parents, and she wanted it to be yours.”
Arnold couldn’t understand what she was saying.
“After she died, I adopted her little boy and raised him as my own. I never married anyone because I wanted to devote my life to my child. Son, check inside the vase; it might be a gift from her. Cheers!” Diana said, raising her glass for a toast while Arnold examined the vase in shock.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pixabay
He stood frozen. Inside the old ceramic vase were stacks of cash. Tears streamed down his face as he sank to his knees.
Arnold realized the woman he was ashamed of was not his birth mother, but the one who had sacrificed everything to raise him. She was more than just a mother—she was his savior and guardian angel who rescued him after he lost his parents.
“I’ve kept my promise to my late friend. I’m happy for you, son. Be well, and may God bless you,” Diana said softly. She headed for the exit to leave, but Arnold quickly caught up with her and stood in her way.
“Mom, I’m sorry. Your love for me means the world. I regret hurting you. I wasn’t a good son, but you were always a good mother. Why didn’t you tell me I was an orphan? Please don’t go. I don’t want to be alone again.”
Diana hugged Arnold, and they returned to the stage, where the groom danced with his mother.
What can we learn from this story?
A mother will do anything for her child, even forgive his faults to see him happy. Even though Arnold told her not to attend his wedding because of shame, Diana refused to stay away because she wanted to witness her son’s special moment.
No amount of money can match a mother’s love for her child. When Arnold found out that Diana raised him and gave him a better life after his biological mother died, he regretted excluding her from his wedding. Nothing material can compare to a mother’s love.
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