My Fathers Partner Became My Second Mum
My mother passed away when I was just eight years old. My dad turned to drinking, and there were many days when there was hardly anything to eat at home. I used to beg for food at school, struggled in my studies, wore shabby clothesand eventually, the teachers took notice.
Social services came to visit several times, and soon my father was given strict conditionsif he failed to stick to them, hed lose his parental rights. Thankfully, Dad came to his senses, stopped drinking, and things got smoother during the following inspections.
After some time, Dad told me he wanted me to meet someone he cared about. We went to Auntie Marys house. I wasnt keen, as thoughts of my mum were still fresh, and I couldnt quite understand my fathers decision to see Auntie Mary.
But when we started chatting, I immediately felt the kindness in her heart. I made friends with her son, who was a year older than me, and soon we started going to athletics club together. Dad was over the moon that I liked his new partner. Within a month, we moved in with Auntie Mary, and our old flat was rented out to tenants for a bit of extra money.
Dad never got the chance to marry Auntie Mary: he was killed by a drunk driver. Officially, I was no one to Auntie Mary, so foster care came and took me to a childrens home. When I had to leave, Auntie Mary promised to bring me back as soon as she possibly could.
She kept her promise, and two months later I was home with her again. Those two months in care were enough for me to experience the harsh realities of an orphanage. I was deeply grateful that Auntie Mary hadnt abandoned me, that she truly was a second mum. Shes a wonderful woman, and her son became a real brother to me.
Now were adults with families of our own, but Mum Mary is still the closest person to both me and my brother. Shes been a mother-in-law twice over and has never quarrelled with any of her new children; neither of us has ever called her mother-in-law. Both my husband and my brothers wife call her Mother Mary out of respect for her kindness and understanding. And every time someone addresses her as such, pure happiness shines in Marys eyes.
From all of this, Ive learned that family isnt just about bloodits about those who stand by you, love you, and open their hearts when you need them the most.
