When 80-year-old Edith lost her ability to walk and became wheelchair-bound, her son, Henry, made the difficult decision to place her in a nursing home.
Years later, when karma finally opened his eyes, he rushed back to bring her home—only to find she was no longer there.
Henry Griffith was raised by his single mother, Edith, after his father passed away when he was just four years old. Having Henry late in life, Edith cherished him more than anything, ensuring he never felt the absence of his father.
For years, Henry returned that love, always looking out for his mother. But everything changed when he met her—Courtney Jackson—the woman who would drive a wedge between him and the mother who had given him everything.
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In the first month of their relationship, Courtney convinced Henry to move in with her. They pooled their savings from part-time jobs and purchased a small condo together. A few years later, after they married, Courtney began subtly pressuring Henry to move back in with Edith—claiming it would help them save money for a larger home in the future.
When Henry hesitated, Courtney framed it as a benefit for Edith as well. “We’ll be able to take care of her better if we’re living with her,” she reasoned. Henry, wanting the best for his mother, agreed, and soon they were settled into Edith’s home.
Three years later, when their son Liam was born, everything changed. Courtney offloaded all household chores onto Edith, insisting she was too overwhelmed as a new mother to manage them herself. On top of that, she used Edith as a full-time babysitter whenever Henry was at work and she wanted to go out with friends.
Edith resented how she was being treated and eventually confided in Henry. But when he confronted Courtney, she skillfully turned the situation around, making herself the victim. In the end, Edith found herself apologizing for even bringing it up.
Years later, as Liam grew older and no longer needed a babysitter, Courtney began planting seeds of doubt in Henry’s mind about keeping Edith in the house. She exaggerated how much work it was to care for her, how her wheelchair-bound state made her a burden, and how she was always in the way. She even claimed Edith smelled bad and couldn’t contribute to the household at all.
At first, Henry resisted. He loved his mother and couldn’t fathom sending her to a nursing home. Their arguments became frequent and heated, and while Edith was heartbroken to know she was the cause of their fights, she took comfort in Henry’s unwavering loyalty. For now, at least, he refused to let her go.
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But a year later, when Courtney became pregnant for the second time, she finally got her chance to kick Edith out of the house.
Courtney was heavily pregnant when it all happened, and she fell ill one day. It was her fault that she didn’t take care of herself, yet she blamed everything on Edith.
“Henry,” she said. “I know you love your mother, but the worst could have happened today. It’s good that the doctor gave me some medications. I’ll be well, but your mother…she is dangerous to our baby.”
“It was just an allergy, Courtney. You must have taken something by mistake.”
“No, Henry,” Courtney insisted. “I’m sure it was because your mom…well, she made lunch today, and after that, I fell sick.”
“What? Are you serious? But mom doesn’t cook these days! How did she…”
“That’s what I’m trying to say…she…Maybe she did it by mistake, but we need to send her to a nursing home before it’s too late, Henry. She’s becoming a threat. Today she made lunch, and I fell sick after eating it. The next time, her actions may harm our children. We need to think of this seriously!”
Henry couldn’t bring himself to send Edith to a nursing home, but when he considered the safety of his children, his parental instincts took over. He made the decision to send his mother to a nursing home.
“Mom,” he told Edith over dinner that night. “I was thinking that because you’re in a wheelchair and I’m not always there to care for you, a nursing home would be much better for you. There’d be people to look after you there, and yes, I guess that would be great.”
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“A nursing home?” Edith whispered, teary-eyed. “But Henry, I’m fine here. I don’t need extra care. I can manage on my own.”
“No, mom,” Henry interrupted. “You don’t get it. I have to send you. We have no other choice. That’s the best for me, Courtney, and everyone else. Pack your bags by tomorrow morning. I’ll drop you off before I go to work.”
Edith was frozen stiff, unable to believe Henry was sending her to a nursing facility. She turned at Courtney, who was smiling brightly.
Edith knew she was the cause of Courtney and Henry’s squabbles, but she never anticipated Courtney would mislead Henry in such a way that she’d be kicked out one day. But at this point, even she was tired of proving her innocence every time, so she gave up and agreed to go to the nursing home.
“Can I ask you a favor before I leave, Henry?” she asked, trembling, staring at her hands on her lap.
“Yeah?”
“Will you visit me when I’m there? Not very often, but at least on weekends?”
“Sure, mom,” he said. “No doubts about that!”
“Well, then, thank you,” she muttered as she walked away to her room.
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Unfortunately, Henry never visited her. Months passed, and his second child arrived. He became preoccupied with parenting and forgot about his elderly mother until three years later when he decided to pay her a visit and discovered she was no longer living at the nursing home.
Henry’s life had taken a turn for the worst in these three years. He caught Courtney cheating on him with his best friend, and when he confronted her, she blatantly acknowledged it. And if that wasn’t enough, she’d transferred all of his assets to her name and evicted him from his house. But that wasn’t all.
Courtney incited Liam against Henry to the point where he hated him. Once, Liam told him he didn’t want him around him. At that point, Henry remembered Edith and how he’d kicked her out.
Having realized his dreadful mistake, Henry wanted to apologize to her and bring her back. However, when he arrived at the nursing home, he did not find her there. He inquired about her at the reception desk, and it was then that he discovered something shocking. “She left here two years ago,” the receptionist remarked after looking over Edith’s file.
“What? But where has she gone? I’m her only living relative,” Henry complained, desperate for answers.
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The receptionist sighed and placed a piece of paper on the table. “Go to this address,” she instructed. “She left after marrying our old janitor, David. Why wouldn’t she, after all? She frequently complained that her son didn’t care about her at all. David treated her as if she were a member of his family. They were madly in love. They deserved to be with each other.”
Henry couldn’t believe his ears. His mother was completely alone and depressed because of him! He wanted to make amends with her, so he went to the address on the note.
A few hours later, he came to a halt in front of a run-down cottage near a tiny farm. He sighed and knocked, and Edith answered. She was still in a wheelchair, but she looked way happier and healthier than before.
“Henry? Oh, my boy! How did you?….”
Henry felt so embarrassed that he couldn’t look her in the eyes. He bowed his head in shame.
“I’m sorry, mom,” he murmured, wiping away his tears. “I apologize for all I’ve done up to this point. I pushed you away to a nursing home, and now that I’ve lost my children to Courtney after she divorced me and kicked me out, I understand how you must have felt. I only get to see my children on occasion, mom, and I know how much it hurts. Please forgive me if possible.”
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“Jesus!” gasped Edith. “Henry, when did all of this happen?”
“It’s been three years, mom. But I don’t blame anyone. I – I deserve this!”
“No, Henry, you don’t!” she said, and Henry looked at her, stunned. “Two wrongs don’t make a right, Henry. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is ridiculous! Wise people move on, as I did. I forgave you long ago. Come here…” She embraced him and patted him on the back. “What you did was bad, extremely wrong, but you realized it, and you want to correct your mistake. People who want to mend their ways should be forgiven. So stop blaming yourself.”
“You’re not angry at me?” he asked, sobbing. “Oh! Thank you, mom. I am so glad you’re happy with David. I found out at the nursing home. I am so happy for you!”
“Oh, I love you, Henry. I am so happy to have you back. David would love to meet you!”
Later that day, Henry met David, and he thanked him for looking after his mother all this time. He also bought a house close to David and Edith’s home so he wouldn’t be too far away from her ever again.
A month later, Henry surprised David and Edith with a destination wedding for them in Miami with his savings. The elderly couple got married in a beautiful ceremony. It was there that Henry met Clara, the woman who not only accepted him but also David and Edith, and they all moved in together like a happy family.
What can we learn from this story?
A mother’s love has no bounds. Despite Henry’s harsh behavior, Edith forgave him.
You can’t avoid karma. Henry kicked Edith out at one time and eventually lost his children, home, and everything.
Never trust others’ opinions on someone. Henry would not have suffered so much if he had not trusted Courtney when she called Edith “dangerous” to his family.
