Jake chooses to give his mother a hard lesson about what family really means after she goes to great lengths to bar his wife and stepdaughter from a family meal.
My name is Jake. I want to tell you a tale of how I stood up for my family in the face of strong criticism from a person who ought to have been encouraging. This is how it all began.
When I met Linda a year ago, my life completely turned around. She’s incredible—wise, kind, and very powerful.
May, her small daughter, followed her. We clicked right away when we first met, May and I. Even the darkest days are made brighter by her contagious laugh.
Since May’s father isn’t shown in the photo, I assumed that position. She seemed like the perfect person to have in my life from the beginning.
There is, however, my mother. She has strong opinions about what a family ought to look like and is rather conservative. Being Black, Linda’s mother never stated anything explicitly, but her deeds spoke louder than words. Every time we asked her around, she had one excuse.
That was our wedding that truly broke our hearts.
My mother objected to being in any family portraits. I can recall struggling to contain my emotions as she gave me a sly little smile.
She whispered to herself, “This won’t last,” and hurried passed me. “You’ll come to your senses, eventually.”
When Linda heard her hurtful comment, she sobbed uncontrollably that evening. This should have been the perfect day, but Mom’s displeasure left a permanent scar.
But Mom did something a few weeks ago that really made me snap.
What happened was that on a Saturday afternoon, Mom contacted me in a panic, screaming that she was suffering a heart attack.
Her cries of anguish and tears were so loud that I could hardly understand her. I hurried to her house, dropping everything, dreading the worst, my pulse pounding.
My heart fell when I arrived, but not for the reason I had anticipated.
She was sitting rather comfortably on the couch and appeared to be in good health. My brothers, their spouses, and their children—her biological grandchildren—were gathered around her. Everyone save Linda, me, and May.
“Finally, our family is together without that burden you always drag with you,” my mother remarked with a sly smile upon seeing me.
“What are you talking about?” Reeling from disbelief, I asked. “What’s going on here?”
“We’re having dinner as a family,” Mom casually said.
“I lied about the heart attack,” she said, “because it was the only way to get you here alone.”
I was dumbfounded and stood there looking foolish while my mother looked good about herself. I was shocked that she would go to such lengths as to stage a heart attack in order to keep my relatives out.
Though I was filled with anger, I maintained my composure. I understood that getting angry would not fix anything. Rather, I choose to comply.
“Oh, thank God, Mom, you’re okay,” I forced a grin. “You really had me worried.”
She appeared so arrogant, as if she had triumphed in some sort of conflict. But I was fuming on the inside. I had to make sure she learned a valuable lesson from me.
In the days that followed, I considered how I might demonstrate to her what true family meant. That’s when the concept for the picture album entered my head.
As I looked through old family albums, I discovered every image that had Linda and May. There were so many wonderful memories, and remembering them made me even more determined.
I copied those pictures and put them in a lovely photo album that I called “Our Complete Family.” I wanted my mother to know how content and whole my family was now that Linda and May were here.
I then extended an invitation to Mom for a memorable family meal. I set a trap for her by implying that I was divorcing Linda in order to make sure she would come.
My mother behaved as though she had triumphed when she got there. She had no idea what was about to happen.
“Mum, I’m so happy you came,” I responded, attempting to seem friendly and upbeat. “It’s been too long since we all sat down together.”
May rushed up to offer Linda a hug after she gave her a courteous greeting. My mother hesitated, and I could see it in her eyes, but she gave May an uncomfortable back pat. At least that was a start.
Over supper, Mom seemed to ease up, as if she’d accomplished her mission of keeping me apart from Linda and May. I spoke lightly, discussing business and unimportant family rumors.
I then cleared my throat before saying, “Mom, I have something special for you.”
I took out my prepared photo album, “Our Complete Family.” Grinning, I gave it to her.
As she turned the pages of the album, her look changed from one of interest to bewilderment to pure rage.
With a chilly tone, she said, “What is this supposed to mean?”
I firmly answered, “It means that this is my family, and they are not a burden.” “May and Linda are and always will be a part of my life. You will no longer be a part of our life if you don’t accept that.”
She flushed and parted her lips to protest, but I cut her off before she could say anything.
“There’s more,” I said thereafter.
“Linda and I are renewing our vows next month, and you’re invited.” I gave my mother a sharp look. “But only if you promise to respect Linda and May.”
Even though she was stunned, I didn’t stop there. I responded, “I’m also in the process of officially adopting May,” taking Linda’s hand. In every aspect, she will be my daughter.”
There was silence in the room. My mother’s expression changed quickly from surprise to rage and back again, but I could see that she was starting to realize that I wasn’t going to back down.
At last, she blasted out the door and shut it behind her. I felt a wave of relief when the tension in the room subsided. May smiled broadly up at me as Linda gave me a firm hug with tears in her eyes.
“I appreciate it, Jake,” Linda said. “For standing up for us.”
“Never ever,” I kissed her forehead in return. “You two are my family, and nothing will ever change that.”
Thus, there was instant backlash when I revealed the shocking news that we would be renewing our vows and adopting May.
After a few days, my brothers called to tell me that Mom was upset and felt deceived. They were curious as to what had transpired. I clarified that Mom’s actions were intolerable and that they had been harming Linda and May.
I was surprised to hear they got it.
My older brother Tom added, “Jake, we had no idea it was this bad.” “Mum has always been unyielding, but this is going too far. You made the correct decision.”
Sam, my younger brother, said, “Yeah, dude. We are here for you. Family is more than simply blood; it’s about acceptance and affection. We’ll speak with Mom and work to get her to realize that.
Their assistance was a great comfort. It seemed as though a burden had been removed from me. It meant the world to me knowing my brothers were on my side.
I got a call from Mom about a week later. She sounded unsure in her voice, and it was obvious she had been sobbing. I asked her over because she wanted to chat. She surprised me by showing up at my door a little while later, looking tired but also regretful.
“Jake, I’m so sorry,” she said, her eyes welling with tears. “I was so blinded by my own prejudices that I didn’t see how much I was hurting you and our family.”
“Our family?” I inquired sharply.
She said, indicating toward the living room where Linda and May were watching television. “All of our family,” she said. “I’ll treat Linda and May better starting today. I’ll set everything right.
Although it wasn’t a quick repair, it was a start. Gradually, we started mending our friendship. After Mom really tried to get to know Linda and May, things started to improve. She even showed Linda and May the respect they deserved when she attended our vow renewal ceremony.
What then is the lesson to be learned from this? Defend your loved ones by standing up to your relatives. People may require a severe wake-up call to acknowledge their errors. And never allow someone to put your loved ones through unnecessary hardship.