Tina thought she was living her dream when she married her high school sweetheart, Richard. But after being kicked out by her husband and raising their son on her own, she discovered how serious the consequences of our choices can be.
Tina had always dreamed of a grand traditional wedding. However, she ended up eloping with Richard at just 18, which was far from the wedding she had imagined.
Richard came from a wealthy family, and the idea of eloping didn’t seem ideal to Tina. But she was just happy to marry the man she loved. She wasn’t interested in his money—she truly loved Richard.
“Get out, Tina! If I see you here again, we’ll have a problem!”
After a few months of living together, Tina discovered she was pregnant. Even though they hadn’t talked about having kids, Tina was thrilled and eager to share the news with her husband.
Richard’s reaction was not what Tina expected. He asked, “What do you mean you’re pregnant?” clearly upset.
Tina tried to reassure him, saying, “I thought you’d be more excited. I know we didn’t plan this, but I believe you’d be a great father.”
Richard responded angrily, “Family man? The only reason we’re together is so I can get away from my own family! How could you do this to me?”
Tina was shocked by Richard’s angry words. She wondered if he was showing his true colors but hoped he just needed more time to process the news. She convinced herself to be patient.
The next day, Richard came home drunk and suddenly kicked Tina out of their apartment.
“Get out, Tina! If I see you here again, we’ll have a problem!” he shouted.
Tina didn’t argue and left, thinking Richard would come to his senses. A few days later, when Tina tried to return to the apartment, she found that Richard had changed the locks. She called Richard’s parents, and the conversation left Tina heartbroken.
“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Tinney. I was trying to reach Richard. We recently…” Tina began to explain, but was rudely interrupted.
“How dare you call after everything you’ve done to our Richy!” Mrs. Tinney snapped.
“Me? I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Please, let me explain…” Tina tried to respond, but was cut off again.
“We’ve heard all about it! How you cheated on him and got pregnant with another man’s child! Don’t ever call here again, or we’ll take legal action against you!” Mrs. Tinney said harshly.
At that moment, Tina realized that she and her unborn child were completely on their own.
Years went by, and Tina worked hard to raise her son, Greg, with all the love and strength she had. Greg made it easier for her by understanding their situation and helping out. Even though Tina struggled to make ends meet, Greg’s willingness to pitch in lightened her load.
Tina was always open with Greg about what had happened between his father and her. Greg appreciated his mother’s efforts and worked alongside her to support the family. At just 15 years old, he began working as a caddy at the local golf club.
Despite starting work early, Greg never let it affect his schoolwork. Although he wasn’t the top student, his strong work ethic helped him graduate high school with honors. Using the money he saved from his job, Greg soon started his own business.
Tina was incredibly proud of the man Greg was becoming, but she was concerned about the growing anger he seemed to have toward his estranged father.
Greg didn’t talk much about his father, but Tina could always see the anger in his eyes whenever the topic came up.
As the years went by, Greg’s business continued to thrive, and he became quite successful. By the age of 26, he was one of the most successful young people in his city and even hired his mother to work at one of their main offices.
One day, Greg decided it was time to visit his father. He had been tracking Richard’s movements for a while and was finally ready to confront him.
Greg drove up to Richard’s house with a baseball bat tightly clutched in his hand. He wasn’t sure exactly what he planned to do when he met Richard, but his anger was so intense that he was certain the bat would come into play. Whatever his intentions, they were not friendly.
As Greg sat in his car, debating his next steps on this long journey, he saw something that shook him deeply.
Greg had never been a violent person, not as a child or as an adult. He had carried this deep scar for so long that he never imagined it could heal.
Years of pain had convinced him that Richard deserved whatever was coming to him. But when he saw his father come outside to take out the trash, looking frail and dressed in rags, Greg felt a wave of realization.
In that moment, Greg understood how far his quest for revenge had taken him. The man who had caused so much pain was now nothing more than a shadow of his former self. Greg questioned if this broken man was worth all the anger and effort he had put into seeking revenge.
Greg noticed a “for sale” sign in Richard’s yard and decided to put the bat down and call the number on the sign. He learned that Richard was deeply in debt, and the house was being sold to cover his loans.
Feeling relieved and clear-headed, Greg left Richard’s property, realizing he had narrowly avoided making a huge mistake. He then bought the house.
A few days later, Richard went to the property agent’s office to finalize the sale, only to find Tina and Greg waiting for him.
Richard was speechless. As soon as he entered the room, Greg introduced himself and told Richard to leave the property.
“If I see you again, we’ll have a problem!” Greg said.
Tina watched in silence as Richard left, feeling a sense of déjà vu. His departure mirrored the way he had once sent her away, and she couldn’t help but think, *What are the chances?*
An Aspiring Model With a 100-lb Leg Embraces Her Uniqueness and Wants to Show the World That Being Different Is Beautiful
Mahogany Geter, a 24-year-old aspiring model, was born with a rare condition that left her with a 100-lb leg. After a lifetime of facing difficulties, Geter’s life changed forever when she was offered a chance to model, starting her off on a journey of spreading the message of body positivity to others.
Bright Side found her story inspiring and a great example of how beauty can be found everywhere, and wanted to share Geter’s story of self-love with you.
She was born with a rare condition.
Mahogany Geter, a resident of Tennessee, was born with a rare condition that left her with a left leg that weighs 100 lb. The condition, known as lymphedema, can cause excess fluids to collect in the soft tissue of the body and lead to swelling. For Geter, her entire left side of the body is impacted by this, but only her leg is the most visible.
Geter was diagnosed with the condition right after she was born, and it made it extremely difficult for her to walk. “It drains my energy, of course, because it’s an extra 100 pounds,” she said. The condition makes her more susceptible to contracting fibrosis, and the only way to manage it is through physiotherapy and massages to drain the excess fluid in her leg.
She had a difficult time growing up.
The model talked about how she faced many difficulties growing up: “I’ve been through a very depressed state because you’re a little kid, and you have a bunch of grown adults staring at you.” She would receive many unwarranted comments from others and was teased throughout her childhood. “I will say it probably can affect you more mentally and emotionally,” she revealed.
“As a child, I never felt pretty. I felt ugly, like a freak of nature, and cried in private so many times,” said Geter. She had been suggested surgery by many doctors, but she turned it down every time, stating that in some other, more severe cases, surgery hadn’t completely gotten rid of the growth. Instead, she chose to accept herself as she was.
She began her modeling journey in 2017.
Geter’s life changed forever in 2017 when she was spotted by a photographer while she was working at Walmart. Initially thinking it was fake, the young woman eventually agreed to let the photographer take pictures of her. “I was like, ’I’m getting older now, maybe it’s time I start putting my full body out there,’ and hopefully me doing that can help somebody else,” she said.
This one opportunity catapulted Geter’s career as a model. Following this, she was featured in a viral YouTube video that amassed over 10 million views. Her presence on Instagram and other social media platforms has also increased. “Mainly, I’ve gotten a lot of positive responses, and the ones I like the most are that it helps people that also feel low about themselves,” she said.
She aims to help others embrace their unique bodies.
Despite her increased presence on the internet resulting in some Internet trolls, Geter has remained positive throughout, saying, “People have been so nice and supportive of me online. It isn’t all trolling and negativity.” She has remained consistent in spreading body positivity and encouraging others to be more comfortable in their bodies.
Geter is committed to her dream of becoming a model. “If I ever make it big, I want to buy my mother a house and take care of my family, then I’ll do everything I can to raise awareness of lymphedema to pay it back to everyone who has ever shown me kindness.” She continues to use her condition to inspire others to celebrate their differences as well.
Her journey has inspired many.
Although Geter’s journey has been hard, she has learned to accept herself and vows to spread this attitude to others. “For the longest, I felt so low about myself, but once I got older and with loads of support from the online lymphedema community and my mom who is my inspiration, I realized how beautiful I am. Not only looks, but as a person.”
What part of Mahogany Geter’s journey resonated with you the most? Do you have any advice for those that struggle to accept their bodies? Share it with us.
Preview photo credit lymph.goddess23 / Instagram, lymph.goddess23 / Instagram
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