Orphan Boy Tries to Find His Mother with Her Portrait He Drew – Story of the Day

A young boy draws a portrait of the mother who abandoned him when he was a very young child and goes looking for her.

Like every orphan, Patrick Jones dreamed one day his mother would come for him. He'd see her face, her smile, and all that love he'd missed would be there in her open arms.

But Patrick had never seen his mother. She had left him in the lobby of the orphanage he lived in when he was just days old. All that Patrick had was a fantasy, until Mr.Dmitri, the old janitor, made a startling remark.

All Patrick wanted was to find his mother. | Source: Shutterstock.com

"Patrick," the old man said. "You have your momma's eyes!"

Patrick, who was just six, was very excited. "Did you see my momma, Mr. Dmitri, really?"

"Yup," Mr. Dmitri said. "I sure did! She was the prettiest woman I ever saw."

"I wish I could have seen her..." whispered Patrick. "You see, I'm scared that if she comes back I won't recognize her! If I draw a picture of her will you tell me if it's right?"

Patrick was abandoned at an orphanage when he was just days old. | Source: Unsplash

Mr. Dmitri nodded. "I surely will!" he said. "And talented as you are, it will be a fine portrait!"

So Patrick did a portrait of his imaginary mother and made the eyes as close to his own as he could manage. But Mr. Dmitri looked at it and frowned. "Nope, that nose ain't right! Your mom's nose was prettier!"

And Patrick would draw another portrait, and another, and another. Over the years, he must have drawn a hundred portraits but they were never quite right according to Mr. Dmitri.

When Patrick was seventeen, he brought Mr. Dmitri the best portrait he'd ever done (and by then he was a very accomplished artist) and Mr. Dmitru gasped. "That's your momma to the life!"

The only person who saw Patrick's mom was Mr.Dmitri, the janitor. | Source: Unsplash

Patrick was delighted! He had dozens of copies made of the portrait and started slipping out of the orphanage to put up the portraits of his mom all around town, asking anyone who recognized her to contact him. No one showed up or called which left Patrick very disappointed.

But six months later, just when he was giving up, a man came to the orphanage and asked to see Patrick. The man was in his forties and he stood and stared at Patrick. "Is it you who is looking for the woman in the portrait?"

"Yes," Patrick said. "That's my mother."

Patrick started drawing portraits of his mother. | Source: Unsplash

"Did you paint that?" the man asked.

"Yes," Patrick said. "I did."

The man smiled. "I'm George Halston. You have a lot of talent, young man, and I should know. I'm an artist."

George took Patrick out for a cup of coffee and they had a long chat. Patrick never noticed that George had taken his cup with him after, but two weeks later, the artist was back to see him again.

Patrick became an accomplished artist painting portraits of his mother. | Source: Pexels

"Patrick," George said. "I didn't want to say anything without proof, but I did know your mom. She was a very beautiful woman, and she was my wife. She left me for another man, a rich man, and moved to Europe.

"What I didn't know was that she was pregnant when she left me. Now I know that you are my son. You're not alone, Patrick. You have me, and a stepmom who can't wait to meet you, and three younger stepsisters. You have a family."

Patrick bowed his head and cried. "My mom..." he said. "She's never coming back, is she?"

Geoge shook his head sadly. "I don't think so son, but you never know..."

Patrick's father was an artist too. | Source: Pexels

"Did the portrait look like her?" asked Patrick. "Did I get it right?"

"No," George said. "It doesn't look like her at all -- but what I did recognize was your style and the talent you have. I knew you were mine!"

Patrick went to live with George and his family and his dream of being a part of a loving family came true. He became an artist just like his father, and a famous one too.

Many years later, a woman came up to Patrick at an art show in Paris. "This portrait..." she asked. "'Fantasy of My Mother' -- is it for sale?"

Patrick found the big family he'd always dreamed of. | Source: Unsplash

Patrick looked at the woman. She must once have been very beautiful, and her eyes were just like his. "I'm afraid not," he said. "It's a dream I once had that the woman who gave birth to me loved me, but sadly she didn't."

The woman looked shocked. "Mothers always love their children..." she said.

"Even when they walk away?" asked Patrick.

The woman looked away. "Sometimes...Sometimes they think other things are more important..."

Patrick's mother admitted her mistake. | Source: Unsplash

The woman had tears in her eyes. "No, Patrick. They are an illusion. They are all gone now, and all I have left are regrets."

Patrick took the portrait off the wall and gave it to her. "Mother, I want you to have this. My address is on the back, so if you want to meet your grandchildren, you know where I am."

What can we learn from this story?

• Children should not suffer because of their parents' mistakes. Patrick's mother sacrificed her son so she could live a life of luxury.
• If you seek, you will find. Patrick found his father and his siblings, and years later, his mother found him through his paintings.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about two orphaned girls who are reduced to looking for food in dumpsters when their guardian spends their inheritance on luxuries for herself.

This account is inspired by our reader’s story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com