Boy Promises Mother to Do 1000 Good Deeds in a Month & Accidentally Saves Her from Being Fired – Story of the Day

Venessa thought she had failed at her job and at being a good parent to her son. But her son began a mission to change himself - and it ended up creating another unexpected change in the process.

"Ha!" Venessa chuckled, remembering the ending of the romantic comedy she watched last night. "Being a single mother isn't half as romantic or glamorous as they make it look," she chipped in on the conversation her colleagues were having over lunch.

The truth is, she had skipped past a lot of bits and watched most of the movie with the TV on mute, hiding her few minutes of quiet entertainment from her son.

"I think it was quite empowering," one of the women in the group chimed in.

"Sure. If you work at a job that allows you to buy linen pantsuits, drive a pretty car, and eat a lean diet instead of your kid's leftover sandwiches, it is."

The group broke into a roar of laughter, nodding their heads at Venessa's impossible sense of humor.

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Nobody could tell that she was struggling with stress in every area of her life, especially after the death of her husband.

For the rest of the afternoon, Venessa stood at the gift-wrapping station of the children's store, waiting for customers.

'One more hour to go! And then I'll pick Adrian up from school. We've got a lot of studying to do for that test coming up next week. God, how will I get him to sit down and focus for more than 5 minutes?'

Adrian wasn't always like this. When his dad was still around, he was a wonderfully kind and confident boy. He wasn't great in every subject at school, but his father made it a point to celebrate even the smallest wins.

With him gone and Venessa struggling to make ends meet, Adrian fell through the void created in their happy family life. His grades went down further, and he turned into a troublemaker at school.

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The phone buzzed and alarmed Venessa back into the present moment.

"Hello? Oh? Again? I'm so sorry…of course, I'll be right there."

She hung up and hid her face in her palms in despair. Thankfully, it was a dull day at the store, so she could take a minute to process what she had just heard.

She took a deep breath and turned to her colleague.

"Millie, it's Adrian again. I've been called to the school. Will you please—"

"Of course, I'll cover for you. Go!"

The principal was visibly frustrated. Who could blame her? She had been more than understanding of Adrian's grief.

'Everybody's patience has a limit,' Venessa thought to herself as she apologized to the principal, dragged Adrian passive-aggressively towards the car, and tried not to scream on the drive home.

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But looking at Adrian sitting back relaxed, playing a game on her phone, and casually humming a song was too much for Venessa to ignore.

"Explain why you did it." Adrian was taken aback by the unusual sternness in his mother's voice. He responded to her abrupt question with silence.

"If you are going to be like this, I'm going to have to quit my job and hover around you all day, keeping an eye on everything you do."

"Good! At least that way, you will spend some time with me!"

Venessa was shaken by the anguish in her child's voice. Just as she was about to respond, her phone rang.

'Oh no, this can't be good.' It was her boss from the store.

"What makes you think it's okay for you to leave work early twice in the same week?" He got straight to the point.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Davos. My child—"

"Yeah, yeah, your child. It was the same thing on Monday, wasn't it?

"Well, guess what? I've got a child, too. I'm a single dad, too. But I have gotten a hold of myself so that I can actually function as a working professional and not give excuses to cover my own inability to COMPARTMENTALIZE!"

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"You don't understand, sir. I wouldn't have left if it was a busy day—"

"Oh wow, I guess we didn't really need you today, then? Guess what? We don't need you tomorrow. Or ever again. You're fired."

That evening, Adrian and Venessa did not exchange a single word. Adrian could see that his mother was anxious and worried, and he wanted to apologize. But his guilt was too immense for him to find the right words.

As he lay awake in bed, unable to sleep, he heard Venessa crying in the kitchen.

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Adrian tried to be quiet as he sobbed in the darkness. After hours of sifting through memories, regrets, and worries in his head, he finally thought of an idea.

The following day, he woke his mother up.

"Mom, I'm sorry I acted out. I'm sorry you lost your job.

Saying this, he brought out a tray with a glass of orange juice and a peanut butter sandwich and offered it to Venessa.

Adrian had made the most meticulous plan. He had marked 30 days on the calendar in his room and written down ideas in his diary. 'That would mean about 34 good deeds a day,' he thought.

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For the next few days, strangers around the neighborhood noticed the little boy helping them take out the trash, carry their groceries, and even walk their pets home.

At school, the same teachers who called him a troublemaker were surprised to find his notebooks up-to-date and his hand raised for every task that needed a volunteer.

Venessa also noticed that laundry had been neatly folded away, the bed was made every morning without a single visible crease on the sheets, and there was surprisingly never the slightest hint of dust on the furniture.

Adrian's plan was going really well. Until one day, Adrian was walking back home from school through the usual route when he heard a girl's faint screams for help.

He followed the voice into the ruins of the abandoned house right outside the school compound. He had seen older kids hanging out there, doing shady things.

"Hello?"

"Help me! I'm stuck!"

Adrian had seen the girl before, hanging out at the same spot with the other teenagers. He saw that the girl had gotten her leg stuck under a collapsed wooden board on the floor in the dingy room.

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"My stupid friends chickened out and left, thinking they heard a police car!"

"Relax, let me help you."

After a brief struggle, Adrian was able to lift the heavy board high enough for the girl to free her leg.

"Thank you…"

"Adrian!"

"Skyler."

"If you don't mind, could you please wait here with me till my dad arrives to pick me up? I've just texted him, and I don't want to be alone right now."

Skyler's dad arrived in a chic black Mercedes, and he was shocked to find Adrian sitting next to his daughter. He thanked the child but still couldn't believe the turn of events.

"Come on, kiddo. Let me drop you home."

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"An incredible boy you have, Venessa. He ended up saving my daughter!"

Venessa's eyes lit up as she heard what her child had done.

"Mom, you see? I really am going to be kinder. So that I can become a better person, and you will forgive me..."

"Oh, I forgave you when I had the first bite of the sandwich you made me, silly!" she hugged Adrian and comforted him.

Her sweet and sincere Adrian was back.

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And though her boss didn't seem like the emotional, apologizing type, he sounded sincere when he said, "I'm sorry I insulted you, Venessa. The truth is, I've been having a difficult time with Skyler lately, and I took it out on you by firing you. The job is still yours, by all means. Believe me; I know how difficult it is to raise a child on one's own."

He sighed as he continued his rant. "Being a single parent isn't half as glamorous as they make it look in the movies…"

Why can we learn from this story?

• The pureness of a child's intentions can create great change. Adrian wanted to transform himself with all his heart. The sincerity of his intentions ended up touching Mr. Davos and changing his mind.
• Be accommodating of the fact that parenting is challenging. Whenever you can, acknowledge and applaud your friends and colleagues for their wins and efforts as a parent, just like Mr. Davos ended up doing.

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 a struggling single mother who gets an unexpected bonus at work - thanks to her three little kids who paid her boss a visit.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers 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.