After Only Son’s Death, Woman Spends Thanksgiving Alone Until She Gets Voice Message ‘Hey, Mom’

Olivia had lost her only son, and everything, including Thanksgiving, had lost meaning. That was until she suddenly heard her son’s voice playing on her phone, two years after he had gone.

It’s not that Olivia didn’t have things to be thankful for. She had a home, though it was small. She had a few good friends who would wave and smile when they met on the street. And it was a fascinating, vibrant, exciting world outside the walls of her house

It’s just that one big loss had shattered her world overnight, and nothing felt like a blessing anymore.

Her son, the center of her universe, the life in her eyes, had died two years ago.

“Time is so strange,” Olivia thought, sitting by the window. “Sometimes, two years feel like an eternity. And other times, it feels like my Daryl had kissed me goodbye just yesterday, promising to visit again for Thanksgiving.”

She pictured Daryl’s smile, that joy that had never aged on his childlike face, and it made her cry.

“It’s Thanksgiving today, son,” Olivia whispered to her visualization of her son. “There’s no turkey on the table, but your spot at the table is still untouched. Come running back, won’t you? For a meal…a hug…or a proper goodbye

Olivia knew it was going to be a tearful evening, like every other evening these days.

By now, she knew how to negotiate her way out of the pain, at least for a few hours.

Olivia picked up the phone and started swiping through old pictures of happier times with her only son.

“Can you imagine, it had been lying there, undetected for two years…”
Her walk down memory lane was interrupted by a short buzzing of the phone. It was a message from an unknown number. “Who is this person?” The profile picture on the number looked familiar. Olivia put on her glasses and leaned closer, and her heart went quiet for a second.

It was her son Daryl’s picture, looking handsome in his dark sunglasses, and wearing that same smile…

“I must be dreaming,” Olivia thought. If it was a dream, she wasn’t going to ruin it by questioning and rationalizing.

She went straight to the message. It looked like an audio clip, so Olivia tapped the play button, not knowing what to expect.

“Hey, mom!” The voice she heard made Olivia jump out of her skin. There were goosebumps all over. It was too much for her old heart to bear, so she quickly hit the pause button.

It was Daryl’s voice.

Olivia clutched the phone hard, trying to stop her hands from trembling.

But thanks to your support, I also picked myself up, went back to college, got my business degree, found love again, started my own business, got recognized for my work…

None of it would’ve happened without you,” Daryl said, his smile sweetening his voice.

Thank you for trying to take my pain away – big and small – whether it was lending me your hard-earned money when I hit rock bottom or rubbing my head when I couldn’t sleep from stress.

And thank you for caring about my health, my happiness, and well-being all these years, just as much as you cared for me when I was a tiny baby in your tummy.

I love you. And now that I’m doing well in life, I’m going to spoil you with everything you could ever wish for. I am a part of you and will be forever, mom. Just like I once was!

say goodbye to my son, and this…this was something!” Olivia sobbed.

That conversation was only the beginning of Olivia and Steve’s friendship. For years to come, Olivia would never spend a single Thanksgiving or Christmas alone.

Daryl’s spot remained empty on the table, but there was now a third spot next to it that was always occupied once a week. It was Steve’s spot.