Confession: My Mom Abandoned Me and Wants to be in My Life Now

Since I knew myself, it was always me and my grandmother.  When I would ask about my mother, I was told that she moved to a different parish.  Over the years, she have never once reached out to me so I grew up taking my Grandmother for my mother.

My Grandmother did dressmaking and would ensure that I was well cared for.  She did not have much, but she would always tell me ‘little is much when God is in it’.  I grew up learning to satisfy and living within my needs.  I would go to school, do my homework when I get home, help grandma in the kitchen and then help her with the sewing; I was contented with my living arrangement.  Anything happening at school, it would be me and my old Grandmother (while most students had their mothers and fathers), but I was very happy.  Sometimes I was teased about not having a mother or father but I learned not to pay them any mind.

My grandmother saved up enough money and sent me me to College.  My dream was to become a Psychiatrist but those high fees were out of my grandma’s reach so I went to a teacher’s college and majored in Guidance and Counseling.  I was performing exceptionally well that my faculty leader reached out for a scholarship for me.  I went on to UWI and studied psychiatric.  My Grandmother was there for me right throughout my journey; she would leave from the country on the early morning bus and take my food and clothes she made for me. I graduated from University and was now a trained Psychiatrist.  It took some time for me to get financially stable, but as soon as I did, I relocated my Grandmother to live with me in Kingston.

One day, my assistant told me there was a woman to see me.  When I called her in, she looked like a replica of my grandmother and introduced herself as my mother.  She said she saw my picture in the media and decided to come and find me.  The human side of me chipped in immediately and I slapped her because after all the 34 years of my life she missed, she chose to come ‘find me’ because I was now successful.  I told her to leave my office and never return as the only mother I have was my grandmother.  That played on my conscience for quite some time and my grandmother would tell remind me about the importance of forgiveness.

I think God placed me in this profession because he knew that time would have happened.  There I was offering my patients’ therapy and I was battling my own demon too.  My grandmother was like my therapist who encouraged me to forgive my mother.  All 3 of us met one day and she aired her reasons for leaving me saying she was young and confused (which made little to no sense to me).  Using my psychiatric knowledge, I was able to move on from the hurt and pain.  We operate cordially but I still have my grandmother as my mother.