When I was 12 years old, my father abandoned my mother and me. He was gone when I returned from school one day. Unfortunately, my mother died of cancer less than a year later, leaving me alone.

That period was quite difficult for me, and it gave me issues I’m still working through. The only thing I’m grateful for is that my grandmother took me in after my mother died.

She treated me with love and care and looked after me as if I were her child. She indeed came as a blessing to me when I needed it the most. But sometimes, life really puts you to the test. I realized it when she left for her heavenly abode.

I saw my father again after several years at granny’s funeral. I was so alone and heartbroken after granny’s death that I didn’t care about what he’d done to us in the past.

I really needed someone’s shoulder to cry on, and I thought dad would at the very least hug and console me. But sadly, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

After my grandmother’s funeral, the lawyer called us to his office and read out grandma’s will. It turned out she’d left everything in my name. When dad learned about it, he was enraged.

“Are you serious?” Dad glared at the lawyer. “I’m her son. How can she leave everything in her granddaughter’s name? That’s just not possible!”

“Well,” the lawyer said after a pause. “I told you what was written in the will, sir. Everything belongs to her granddaughter, Beth, now.”

Dad looked at me angrily. “I don’t think you need that property, Beth. After all, you’re still young, and you can easily find a job and place for yourself once your college ends. So just transfer everything in my name!”

I couldn’t believe my ears. I never expected it to be the first thing he says to me after not having seen each other for a long time. However, now that I knew the man was greedy and only cared about himself, I decided I wouldn’t hand over the property to him, no matter what.

“No, dad!” I told him confidently. “If grandma wanted you to have the property, she would have mentioned it in the will. So I’m not going to give it to you!”

Dad gave me a cold stare. “Oh my God, Beth, just look at yourself! Is that what your grandmother taught you? That’s how you talk to your dad?”

At this point, I lost my cool. “I doubt you understand what the term ‘dad’ means. You’ve always been selfish and self-centered. You left me when I was 12, and now you come back just for the inheritance. Leave before I call the cops and report you!”

Dad left after our heated exchange. But he kept harassing me to hand over the property to him. He even went around the family accusing me of stealing his mother’s property and depriving him of his right to possess it.

Well, you know how heartless society becomes when you’re alone and have no one to turn to. People don’t want to hear your side of the story or believe you, so they create assumptions based on what they hear first. Sadly, that’s exactly what happened to me.

My entire family began reaching out to me, telling me that even if my father had abandoned me, I should not forget the importance of filial piety because being kind to my father is what makes me a good daughter.

But after what my father did, I didn’t want to be a good daughter to him. I hated him and severed all of my ties with him. Ten years later, though, our paths crossed again, and this time, dad was a completely different man.

I was on my way to work when I received a call from an unknown number. I usually don’t answer unknown calls, but that day, I decided to answer it. I was taken aback by the voice I heard on the phone.

“It’s me, Beth,” the man spoke. “I hope you don’t hate daddy!”

I hadn’t forgotten anything that man had done in the past. I was furious. “I don’t care what you think. Don’t call me again!” I said rudely and was about to hang up, but then I heard a sobbing sound.

“I’m sorry, Beth.” Dad was crying on the call. “Please let me meet you once. I have a lot of things to say to you. I know I’ve been a terrible person, but please give me a chance.”

“Why should I?” I asked angrily. “After all, you were the one who abandoned mom and me!”

Dad continued apologizing for whatever he’d done and insisted on seeing me only once. Yes, I was angry at the man, but in the end, my heart melted, and I decided to at least meet him.

The next day, we met at a coffee shop. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw him. He looked sick and frail. He was such a contrast to the man he was ten years ago. “What happened to you?” I asked him, concerned.

“Oh, Beth, I’m so glad to see you,” he exclaimed cheerfully in a low voice.

“I can’t say the same, but I feel you need to take care of yourself. You look very weak!” I remarked.

Dad smiled at me. “I guess I deserve it. After all, I left my wife and daughter for a woman who threw me out on the streets once she met a richer man. I lived on the streets initially and then later managed to find a small place to stay. But after staying alone, I realized the importance of family.”

I couldn’t contain my emotions. For some reason, I wasn’t angry at my father anymore. “It’s okay, Dad, you can stay with me if you want,” I told him.

“Thanks, Beth,” dad continued. “But I don’t want to be a burden on you. I just wanted to see you and apologize to you for being such a terrible father.”

I don’t know how you would have reacted in that situation, but I forgave my dad. I know what he did was wrong, but I was glad that he had realized his mistake. I brought him home, and he stayed with me and my husband, Adam.

Adam and I have two children, and my dad loves spending time with them. Even the kids are smitten with him, and we’ve grown into a large, happy family.

What can we learn from this story?

• Family is the most important thing in the world. Beth’s dad realized that once he was left all alone.
• Time is a great teacher. Time taught Beth’s dad the importance of family.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who kicked out his brother from his wedding hall.

This account is inspired by our reader’s story but written by a professional writer. All names have been changed to protect identities and ensure privacy. Share your story with us, maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.