Catherine and Mike have been married for seven years. Four years ago, they gave birth to their son, Andy. Catherine had hoped that the birth of their son, Andy, would usher in a new dawn for them, especially Mike.
Catherine felt that her husband lacked maturity. She had hoped that the birth of her son would see him pull up his socks and provide for his family. But unfortunately for Catherine, that wasn’t the case.
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Mike continued to hang out with his friends for nights on end, coming back home late to his family. Mike also lacked ambition when it came to his work, and this grieved Catherine because they had always shared their aspirations and dreams.
Catherine began to feel as if somewhere along the way, Mike either gave up or simply got comfortable. If he wasn’t out with his friends all night, he was slouched on the couch.
One morning, after several previous confrontations about Mike’s behavior, Catherine thought she’d give it another go.
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“Mike, this is not what we promised each other when we said our vows. It’s been seven years, and we live in the same apartment. I’ve tried to be patient, but I’m drained now. I’ve prayed that you will change. But you clearly won’t change,” Catherine said, defeated.
“Mike, I have tried to be patient with you, but I’m afraid I can no longer do that.”
“Things are just a little tough right now, my love. But I promise it’ll get better,” Mike assured Catherine, trying to go in for a hug.
“That’s what you’ve been saying for the past couple of years, Mike. I don’t know anymore,” Catherine said, drawing away from his embrace.
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Mike was used to spinning Catherine the same story and returning to his normal behavior. He genuinely wanted to change, but he’d become so comfortable with how things were that he didn’t know how or where to start.
That day at work, he decided he would finally turn a new leaf and do whatever was in his power to do better for his family. As he drove home from work, he thought of all the habits he needed to change and how he would sit Catherine down and discuss the necessary areas of improvement step-by-step.
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Mike was finally determined and ready to put in the work. However, when he returned home to an empty home and a note from Catherine, he knew it was too late. Mike welled up as he read the note, which read:
“Mike, I have tried to be patient with you, but I’m afraid I can no longer do that. The example you set for our child is not what I want for him. I wanted him to be raised by the strong, caring, ambitious man I married. Unfortunately, you aren’t that man anymore. And as he is the man I chose to give my heart and trust to, I no longer have a place here, nor does Andy. I’m sorry.”
Mike was absolutely devastated. And as much as he was mad at Catherine for leaving him and taking away his son, he knew she was right.
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Catherine leaving was a much-needed wake-up call for Mike. And as he sat on the floor in tears, reading the note over and over again, Catherine and Andy were already halfway across the country heading to her parent’s house.
A year passed, and Catherine and Andy settled back in her hometown with her parents. Catherine was a housewife in her marriage, but she now had a job.
One day, Catherine received an alarming call from Mike’s mother, Mary. Mary and Catherine often talked. Sometimes Mary would plead with Catherine to patch things up with Mike, but they also shared their own relationship and love for each other.
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“Hi, Catherine. It’s about Mike,” Mary said with a distinct sadness in her voice.
“Hi, Mary. If you’re going to try and convince me to make things right again, I really think that’s a conversation you should be having with him. I know—” Catherine started before a heartbroken Mary chimed in.
“No, it’s not that. M—Mike’s… Mike’s not with us anymore, Catherine. He passed on this morning,” Mary said, struggling to gather her words.
“No! No… I mean, he can’t— He can’t be gone,” Catherine said with a stammer, her voice breaking as the tears flooded in.
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“He left something for you and Andy. Do you think we could meet tomorrow?” Mary asked.
“Yes, sure. Anything you need,” Catherine said.
Catherine and And had a long, silent drive to Mary’s place that day. Catherine had broken the news to her son that day, and they were both heartbroken.
“He said he wanted to be the man you fell in love with again. The son I raised him to be.”
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Both Catherine and Andy barely slept at all the night before. Catherine kept asking herself what Mike could’ve possibly left for them. He barely had anything to his name when they were together.
Mary, Catherine, and Andy shared a moment over tea, talking about their times with Mike. As they finished, Mary called to the matter that had brought them together. She pulled out a document showing Catherine the $100,000 Mike had left for her.
“A hundred thousand dollars? B—But how? Mike barely had a thousand to his name when we were together,” a bemused Catherine asked Mary.
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“Yes, that is true. Losing you two really took a toll on him. In the first few months after you left, he was still up to his old tricks, late nights with his friends, and so forth. But…” Mary paused dramatically, either giving thought to her words or simply remembering her son.
“But?” Catherine asked with itching curiosity.
“But, then he changed. He started working absurd amounts of hours and even got promoted in a short span of time. He was hoping to build you a house you could be proud of and earn your forgiveness. He said he wanted to be the man you fell in love with again. The son I raised him to be,” Mary concluded with a spark of hope in her eyes.
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At this point, they all sat at the table in tears as Mary explained everything. Catherine looked over at a picture of a younger Mike, and her heart sank.
“He really did change, didn’t he? And I wouldn’t give him the time of day,” Catherine confessed, crying louder as her guilt began to overtake her. But Mary lovingly grabbed both her and Andy’s hands in comfort.
“No! Don’t do that to yourself, Catherine. My son changed because of you. The both of you. You made him want to strive to be his best self. And for that, I must thank you, Catherine. You brought me my son back. I got to see the man I had always prayed he’d grow up to be. Thank you, and God for that,” Mary said in tears.
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“Thank you for your kind words, Mary,” Catherine said, feeling more at ease.
“No, thank you. Even though we paid a heavy price for it, I’m proud of the man my son turned out to be. Now, this money should be able to help you with whatever you need,” Mary concluded.
Catherine was still distraught by what Mary had told her. When she got home, she was hysterical. She hated herself and blamed herself for everything that had transpired.
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That day she made a vow to God, saying she would continue her vows to her husband for as long as she lived. She decided she would honor his memory by keeping their marriage vows even after his death. She did not touch a cent of the money, and all of it went towards Andy’s education and future.
What can we learn from this story?
- Sometimes we have to be patient with people. Catherine had given up on believing Mike could be the person she and Mary wanted him to be. However, if she had been a little less hasty and more patient with him, she may have been able to experience more time with that version of Mike.
- Sometimes we need to be taken out of our comfort zone to really see our capabilities. While it can be argued that Catherine made a rushed decision, her decision applied pressure on Mike and forced him out of the comfort zone that was holding him back from being his better self.
