My Daughter’s Despair: Tears and Searching for Meaning
I’m a mother of two children — a son and a daughter — and I’ve been widowed for many years. My husband lived long enough to see the birth of our grandchildren, but sadly, he passed before our children decided to get married.
In our family, we always respected traditions. We believed that if two people loved each other and wanted to be together, then marriage — whether civil or church — was essential.
However, my children had different views. Every time I tried to convince them to legalize their relationships, they would just smile and call my beliefs outdated. They assured me that their love didn’t require stamps or ceremonies, and that a marriage certificate wouldn’t change their feelings.
Sadly, life confirmed my worries in the harshest way.
One early morning, there was a knock on the door. My daughter Elizabeth stood there. In one hand, she held a suitcase, leading her three-year-old daughter with the other, while a baby slept in the pram beside her. Her eyes were full of tears.
“Mom, can I stay with you for a day with the kids? John’s thrown us out… there’s someone else…” her voice trembled.
I was shocked. How could he do that? Elizabeth had given birth to his two wonderful children! I wanted to go straight to him and demand an explanation. But seeing my daughter in such a state, I hugged her, kissed her, and decided not to bring it up then.
Elizabeth completed her education degree but never started working. John, her partner, insisted that she stay home:
“I don’t need your money. I want to come home to comfort, enjoy home-cooked meals, and have clean shirts. I’ll provide for our family.”
I decided to call John. I asked him about the family, about the future. He calmly replied:
“My heart now belongs to another. I’ll support the children, but Elizabeth is my past.”
Since then, he sends a small amount each month. My pension barely stretches to cover us all. Elizabeth is in a depression, always crying and seeing no purpose in the future.
Now she realizes how important it was to officially formalize the relationship. Marriage isn’t just a symbol of love, but a form of protection, especially for women.
I urge all parents: convince your children of the importance of marriage. This “trend” of living together without commitments can lead to tragedies. Families should be built on traditions and laws. Only then can we protect our children and grandchildren from such hardships.