Grieving Mom Can’t Come to Terms with Son’s Death & Sends Him Texts Every Day, One Day Gets Reply – Story of the Day

A woman refused to believe that her only son was dead and sent him texts daily, hoping he would write back. One day, she sent him her last message and broke down when her phone pinged with a reply.

What mother can accept a son's death? For months after she received the Army's notification that Adam had died in combat, Darla refused to speak to anyone. When people offered her condolences, she screamed: "It's a lie! You hear me? It's all lies!"

Darla's heart knew Adam wasn't dead. How could he be? She had found his diary one day while cleaning his room, where he had made a list of things he wanted to do.

"Become a husband and father" was second on the list, and "serving the country forever" was first.

Darla knew Adam hated leaving anything unfinished. She had read his wish list with a smile as she knew Adam would come back. Those rotten mouths who had called him dead would regret their words then.

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In that hope, Darla wrote messages to Adam daily. She believed he would read it and reply when he had the time. The night she found his diary, she wrote:

"I found your wish list, honey. I know I shouldn't have done that, but I couldn't resist reading it. I have cleaned the room. It's all ready. I know your plane will arrive soon."

But she didn't get a reply. So the next day, she wrote, "Are you busy, honey? Do you have a network problem? Whatever the reason, I'll wait for a reply. I love you." But she didn't get a response this time either.

That disappointed Darla. She'd been texting him for months, but he hadn't responded. Darla wanted to tell someone about it, so she called her therapist, whom she had been visiting since Adam's death on a friend's recommendation. He knew Darla was writing messages to Adam daily.

"Mrs. Wells," the therapist said. "We have a session this week, don't we?"

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"Doctor, please," said Darla. "You don't understand. I'm anxious. It's been months, and Adam hasn't sent a single text!"

"Look, Mrs. Wells, I am sorry to say this," he said quietly, "but I don't see any progress. I'll shift the appointment up. Are you available this Friday?"

"You don't get it!" screamed Darla. "Do you know how it feels when your son doesn't respond to your texts or when people start calling him dead? I don't wish to see you any longer, doc! Contacting you was a bad idea!"

The doctor wanted to say something, but Darla hung up. She was fuming in rage. She grabbed the glass vase on the living room table and flung it to the wall. As it shattered into multiple pieces, Darla broke down too.

"Nobody understands! They just can't understand me!" she cried. "How dare they dismiss my worries about my son! I'm his mother. I know everything about him, and they know nothing!"

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Darla wanted a reply from Adam. How else would she tell all those people, who called her son dead, that they were wrong? So Darla decided to send a final text to Adam.

"This may be the last message I'm writing to you," she typed. "I wanted to prove them wrong...those who thought you were dead...those who called me insane for believing in you. I know you're always alive in my heart. I know you are with me, honey. I see your pictures every day and recall all those beautiful memories...the first time you held my hands and walked and the first time you called me 'mom.' I love you."

The text went through, and Darla kept the phone aside. But her heart wasn't at ease. She felt scared, a bit worried, and perhaps a little tense. She couldn't explain that feeling. No one could.

An hour later, Darla was eating lunch. She decided to watch some TV while at it, but as soon as she picked up the TV remote, her phone pinged.

Darla shuddered. That phone hadn't pinged since she had received communication from the Army. It hadn't pinged since the day they had called her to a funeral and said it was Adam's. After all, no one ever contacted her after she went around saying her son was alive. Who could it be?

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With trembling hands, Darla picked up the phone, and before she knew it, she was in tears. There was a text from Adam's number on her phone. Darla clicked on the message to read it. Oh, how long had she been waiting for this!

Then reality struck her. The message was not from Adam. His number was reassigned to someone else. In the message, the new owner had written that he had received a couple of messages from Darla but never answered them. He said he understood she was going through a hard time.

"...I wanted to give you some space, but your recent communication touched me. I recently lost my mum. I apologize for not introducing myself properly. Officer Jackson here. I'm a police officer. I recently moved to this town, and this number was assigned to me by the service provider. I know I can't lessen your grief, but let me know if I can help."

Darla was still like a corpse. Adam didn't have a phone number anymore, and she couldn't text him. The realization that he was gone hit Darla for the first time.

She scrolled to her last message and re-read it. "You're always alive in my heart." Then she sent a text to the officer.

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"Do you mind if we meet for lunch tomorrow?" she asked him.

Officer Jackson replied with the location and time, and the next day, Darla arrived half an hour early.

Darla ordered her favorite dish, and they talked for hours. She hadn't spoken to anyone in that way since Adam died. Officer Jackson told her about his mother, and she told him about Adam and how much she loved him.

With time, these lunches became a routine, and Darla's broken heart began to heal. She had found someone who related to her grief and helped her overcome it.

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Darla was smiling despite the tears in her eyes. "I see him in you…" she said after a pause, "...my son, Adam. Mothers need to be there for their children. I promise I'll be there."

What can we learn from this story?

• Death is a process, and everyone grieves at their own pace. Darla was crushed by Adam's death and needed time to heal. After months, she could finally accept his death and move on.
• Understanding a person's grief can help them heal. Officer Jackson sympathized with Darla as he understood her grief, and with his help, she could overcome it.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a grieving mom who was shocked to find baby toys near her 21-year-old son's grave every day. She thought someone had left it by mistake, but she was wrong.

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.