I felt embarrassed to attend my own son’s wedding, knowing full well that my clothes were old and worn. Surrounded by wealthy guests, I was certain I would look completely out of place. Yet, I simply had no other choice.
Im just an ordinary shop assistant at the local greengrocers. My wages are modest, but Ive always tried to carry myself with dignity. I raised my son on my own, and Ive always been proud of the man hes become. We never had much, but we lived honestly, and I always knew my place in this world.
When my son told me that hed fallen in love and wanted to marry a girl from a well-off family, I could hardly get a word out. I was happy for him, of course, but another worry quickly crept in: how would I help them organise a wedding when every penny went to keeping us afloat?
I spent the three months leading up to the wedding unable to sleep properly. I worried about everythingthe expenses, the preparations, and mostly about the thought of my only child starting a new life. But there was one thing that haunted me above all else: what would I wear to the wedding?
When I was young, I owned just one green dress. Ordinary and inexpensive, but I wore it to every important occasion. I had it on when my son was born, and again when he graduated from university. And, although I wished for something new, I had no choice but to wear that same green dress to his wedding.
As I entered the church, I caught the whispers of my future daughter-in-laws relatives:
Goodness, is that the grooms mother?
She could have worn something better Its a disgrace, her sons wedding and she shows up like that
Each word stung. Amidst all the pristine suits, sparkling jewellery, and haughty glances, I felt like an outsider.
I felt embarrassed to be at my sons wedding because my clothes were old; many guests in the church smirked and laughed behind my back, but what my future daughter-in-law did next stunned everyone.
Suddenly, my future daughter-in-law approached me. She was tall, radiant, in a stunning white dress that must have cost more than a year of my wages. I froze. Standing next to her, I felt even smaller, even poorer.
But then, she did something that left everyone speechless.
She smiled at me, glanced at my green dress, and addressed the room in a clear, confident voice:
Oh! Youre wearing *the* dress. Its absolutely lovely. Ive seen photos of you from years agoyou look just the same. So beautiful.
A hush fell over the church. Even those who had been whispering fell silent.
She placed her hand gently on my shoulder and continued, her voice soft:
I felt embarrassed to be at my sons wedding because my clothes were old, and many guests in the church looked down on me, but what my future daughter-in-law did took everyone by surprise.
I am deeply grateful to you for raising such a remarkable man. You did it all on your own and gave him the best gift of allreal love. Im proud to be joining your family. And as for the dress things like that arent what really matter in life.
Then she bent down and kissed my hand.
I couldnt hold backthe tears streamed down my cheeks. For the first time, someone had openly recognised my efforts, my work, my love that Id given my son over all these years.
All the guests stared at us in astonishment.
