Grieving the loss of her son, a mother visits his grave almost daily. One day, she was frightened to discover baby toys there. Later, the elderly woman learned more about her child’s life.
“A MUSICIAN? Have you lost your mind, Leonard?” Kenneth snapped when his son declared his desire to pursue a career in music.
Leonard was 18 years old, fresh out of high school, and eager to follow his passion. However, his parents wanted him to become a lawyer, which Leonard didn’t want.
He took a gap year after high school because he didn’t want to rush into career decisions, and he discovered that music was something he truly wanted to pursue. However, when he declared his desire to become a musician, his parents weren’t impressed.
Leonard wanted to follow his passion | Photo: Pexels
“But what’s wrong with becoming a musician, Dad?” Leonard grumbled. “There are so many people who followed their passion and are very successful now. I want to be one of them! I don’t want to work a boring office job!”
“Listen, my son,” his father continued. “I’ve made a very clear decision, and I don’t want to repeat myself. You’re going to become a successful lawyer, just like your grandfather and me. Is that clear?”
“That’s impossible, Dad!” Leonard replied. “You can’t force me to do something I don’t want to do! I want to pursue my passion, music, and that’s what I’m going to do!”
“But honey,” her mother interjected. “Your father isn’t pressuring you. He doesn’t want you to waste your time on something that isn’t even certain. You see, so many people have big dreams, but only a handful of them ever achieve them. He’s just worried about you and doesn’t want you to suffer.”
“Oh really, Mom?” said Leonard. “If he really cares about me, he should support me!”
“Calm down, Leonard. Remember, you’re talking to your parents!” his father warned him. “If you want to make your own decisions, why don’t you pay for your college? If you stay with us, you have to listen and obey us. Otherwise, get the hell out!”
Leonard left home to pursue his dreams | Photo: Pexels
“Fine, Dad!” said Leonard. “I’ll prove you wrong one day. I don’t want to be under your command anyway. I’m going to earn some money and make a name for myself!” said Leonard, going to his room.
Leonard’s mother, Lily, advised him to calm down and talk it out later, but he was furious. He packed his bags that evening and left the house, vowing never to return.
Lily kept asking him not to do it. She even tried to convince Kenneth to stop their son, but the man was so adamant about his decisions that he wouldn’t budge. At the same time, even Leonard didn’t care. He was determined to prove his parents wrong, and he left home that very evening, severing all ties with them.
Three years passed without any contact between Leonard and his parents. Often worried about her son, Lily tried to call him several times, but all her calls went to voicemail, and Leonard never returned their calls.
However, one morning, while Lily was preparing breakfast, her phone rang. She quickly dried her hands and rushed to answer it, but what she heard on the other end of the line disoriented her.
It was a phone call informing him that Leonard, his son, had died. The young boy had been in a motorcycle accident and died before reaching the hospital.
Kenneth couldn’t believe his ears when he heard of Leonard’s death | Photo: Pexels
Lily burst into tears, unable to accept the death of her beloved son. “No way! This can’t be happening! Nothing happened to my son!” she screamed, alerting Kenneth. When he saw his wife on their living room floor, clutching her phone and crying her eyes out, he wondered.
“Honey, what’s going on?” Kenneth asked worriedly. But Lily couldn’t answer.
Kenneth snatched the phone from Lily’s hands at that moment. “Hello?” “Who’s calling?”
“This is Officer Duncan calling, sir. We regret to inform you that your son, Leonard Williams, died this morning in a motorcycle accident. We would appreciate it if you could come as soon as possible to confirm that the boy’s body is indeed Leonard’s. We found your phone number in his phone and called you.”
Kenneth couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Are you sure, officer, that’s our Leonard? This…this can’t be…”
“Listen, sir. We found this contact on the victim’s phone. This number was listed as ‘mom.’ In any case, you should come and confirm the body. Thank you,” Officer Duncan said before hanging up.
Kenneth and Lily were heartbroken. They rushed from Chicago to Milwaukee, where the officer had said Leonard’s body was, hoping that whatever they had heard was a mistake or a bad dream that would pass quickly.
However, when they arrived at the morgue, they couldn’t believe that the lifeless boy, the pale-faced body, was their son. Lily was sobbing on the floor, and Kenneth had a stream of tears streaming down his cheeks.
Kenneth and Lily say goodbye to their son | Photo: Pexels
Kenneth and Lily held their son’s funeral the next day in Milwaukee. Too heartbroken, they didn’t want to bring him to their hometown, the place that had marked the beginning of their estranged relationship. They said their goodbyes to Leonard. But the loss of their son put a strain on their relationship.
Kenneth became extremely quiet, drinking heavily and cursing himself to the core for being a bad father, while Lily continued to blame him for throwing their son out.
In the days that followed, Kenneth never bothered to accompany Lily to Leonard’s grave. He felt guilty about confronting his son, and he could never muster the courage to do so. Lily, on the other hand, drove two hours to visit her son’s grave every day.
One day, she arrived at Leonardo’s grave and noticed a small teddy bear near it. She removed it and set it aside, thinking someone had left it there by mistake. She replaced it with the bouquet she had bought, and sat there talking to her son for a while before leaving.
However, when she returned to the grave the next day, the teddy bear was there again, and this time there were several toys with him.
She was then puzzled and wondered if they had been left there on purpose. She asked the guard if he knew anything, but he replied that he did not.
Lily left the cemetery that day, wondering who could possibly be bringing toys to her son’s grave, but when she returned the next day, all her doubts vanished.
Lily started finding toys near Leonardo’s grave | Photo: Unsplash
Lily had just arrived at the cemetery that day when she noticed a young woman standing in front of Leonardo’s grave, holding a baby in her arms. The woman’s eyes were closed as if she were praying. After a few minutes, she placed a toy near Leonardo’s grave and walked away.
Lily couldn’t contain her curiosity and decided to approach her. “Excuse me,” she said. “Do you know my son? I just noticed you placed a toy by his grave. Have you been doing that for days?”
The woman looked a little stunned. “Are you Lily Williams? Leonard’s mother?”
“Do you know me?” Lily’s eyes widened.
“Of course, Mrs. Williams,” the woman said, her eyes filling with tears. Lily sensed a strange fear and worry in her tears. “I’m Carrie. I’m Leonard’s girlfriend. And this baby is Henry, our son.”
Lily couldn’t believe her eyes when she looked at the child. The baby was an exact replica of her deceased son! “But Leonard, he never…”
Lily met a young woman named Carrie at her son’s grave | Photo: Pexels
“I never imagined we’d meet like this, Mrs. Williams,” Carrie said. “Leonard missed you terribly. He was hoping to get back in touch with you, but…” The woman almost burst into tears.
Lily comforted her, and then the two walked to a nearby park. As Carrie sat down to wipe away her tears, she revealed the whole story to Lily.
It turns out that Leonard met Carrie when he came to her town to pursue his dreams. However, due to a lack of funds, he began working as a part-time waiter in a restaurant to support himself, and that’s where he met Carrie.
They moved in together, and over a year later, Carrie became pregnant. Leonard was overjoyed! He wrote a song dedicated to his unborn child, which wasn’t a big hit, but received a lot of response in some states.
This prompted him to take the next step in his career, and he began knocking on the doors of various producers. Some even agreed to collaborate with him. However, tragedy struck Carrie and Leonard when the man was involved in an accident.
Leonard and Carrie had a son named Henry | Photo: Pexels
That morning, Carrie was rushed to the hospital with labor pains. A neighbor had called the ambulance for her, and she had no idea Leonard had been involved in an accident. She remained unconscious for a few days after giving birth, and when she woke up, she learned that Leonard had died.
The woman could not stop crying and began visiting his grave almost every day. The toys she left behind were the ones Leonardo had bought for their child.
“I didn’t know what to do when I heard he was dead,” Carrie continued. “The cops… They tracked my address down through Leonard’s driver’s license, and that’s how I learned he was no longer alive. They also said you and Mr. Williams had arranged the funeral in Milwaukee. I contacted the cemeteries one by one and found out Leonard was here.
“I wanted to meet you one day, but I didn’t know how. Leonard loved you, and he promised that when he became famous, he would bring you and his father here, and we would all live happily as a family. But unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”
Lily couldn’t hold back her tears when she heard this. She had already lost her son, and she didn’t want to lose her grandson as well. So she invited Carrie and Henry to move in with her, claiming they were as much a part of her family as Leonard was. The young woman was hesitant at first, but finally agreed when Lily insisted.
Kenneth and Lily are wonderful grandparents | Photo: Pexels
Thanks to that fateful day, Lily and Kenneth’s lives changed for the better. Kenneth became a loving grandfather to Henry, and seeing him care for the little boy, Lily became more patient and understanding with him, which improved their relationship.
Carrie considered herself lucky to have met Lily and Kenneth, who are wonderful grandparents to Henry. They also helped her get Leonard’s song released by a reputable label.
Carrie says Henry, now 5, is incredibly proud of his father’s musical career and aspires to follow in his father’s footsteps. This time, Lily and Kenneth are fully supportive.
What can we learn from this story?
Anger and impatience only complicate matters . Instead of leaving his parents’ house in a huff, Leonard could have tried another way to convince his parents of his passion. Kenneth, too, shouldn’t have been so harsh with his son. The anger and arguments only worsened Kenneth and Leonard’s relationship, to the point that the boy cut ties with his father and Lily.
It’s not always easy, but having a kind heart and acceptance can sometimes make things better. Lily and Kenneth’s relationship has improved since Lily welcomed Carrie and Henry into her home and accepted them as family.
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