Years passed, and I distanced myself from Mom.

I didn’t learn the truth till after Mom died away. I found an old, battered journal in a drawer as I was clearing up her home. Intrigued, I dove into the text.

As I read the entries in the journal, a new aspect of my mother became apparent to me. I was a newborn when the entries started. Her dreams, her love for my dad, and her aspirations for our family were all detailed in her writing. But I learned why she was so thrifty as I read on.

My father’s concealed gambling addiction had been a struggle for her. For the sake of our financial stability and the repayment of debts that my father had secretly accrued, she had been diligently attempting to save every last cent. She protected me from the truth of our financial predicament, putting our needs above her own wants and ruining her reputation in my eyes.

 
“Today, I had to drain Cara’s college fund” was one particularly striking message. We are now in the midst of Henry’s obligations. She would never know. There is no way she could comprehend. However, it was our only option to avoid foreclosure. Someday, I pray she’ll be able to forgive me.