A woman who was kicked out by her rich father at sixteen for taking up with a poor man ends up living on the streets with her four children after her husband died.
Steve Walton was far from thrilled when his butler told him that Pastor Morris was waiting to see him. He was tired after a long flight from Singapore and in no mood for the man’s lectures or pleas for support for the community.
He had the pastor shown in and waved an impatient hand at his greeting. “Get on with it, man!” he snapped. “What is it that you want this time?”
“Mr. Walton, I saw Susan,” the pastor said quietly, and Steve’s heart nearly stopped. His only daughter had left his house nearly fifteen years before, never to be seen again…
“Susan?” Steve cried anxiously. “Where? When? How is she?”
“I was in Los Angeles, helping out a friend who has a mission among the homeless and that’s where I saw her,” the pastor said.
“She was a volunteer? Did you tell her I’ve been looking for her?” asked Steve.
“No,” Pastor Morris said gently. “She wasn’t a volunteer, Mr. Walton. She’s homeless. She and her children are living in a car.”
Steve found himself so dizzy he had to sit down. “Homeless? My Susan? Children?” he gasped.
“I’m afraid so,” the pastor said. “And she wouldn’t even listen to me when I told her to come home.”
“But why?” asked Steve angrily. “She’s not with that loser anymore, is she?”
“Her husband passed away three years ago, Mr. Walton,” the pastor explained. “And she told me she wouldn’t bring her children into a house where their father is despised.”
Steve Walton felt that old familiar wave of rage sweep through him. Fifteen years later, Susan was still defying him! He remembered the scene in his study, and Susan’s steady eyes looking into his as he ranted.
“Pregnant at sixteen, and by the GARDNER!” he’d screamed. “Well, we are going to have THAT taken care of, and HE’S fired! You will never see that man again!”
“THAT is my baby, daddy,” Susan had said in a tremulous voice. “And HE is the man I love. I’m going to marry him.”
“You marry that man and you’re on your own, Susan, do you hear?” Steve shouted furiously. “No more money, nothing! You marry him and you get out of my house!”
Susan had looked at him with tears in her eyes. “I love you, daddy,” she’d said. Then she turned around and walked away. Even though Steve had set detectives to find her, no one had been able to trace her.
“How many children?” he asked Pastor Morris.
“Four,” the pastor said. “Three girls and a boy. Beautiful children.”
Steve picked up his phone and spat out orders for his plane to be readied. “Pastor, would you come with me to Los Angeles, take me to my little girl?” he asked quietly.
The pastor nodded, and within two hours, the two men were on board Steve’s private jet winging their way south. There was a limo waiting for them, and the pastor directed them to a parking lot outside a large mall.
At the furthest end of the lot, a pickup truck was parked, with a tent set up at the back. Pastor Morris had told Steve that when Susan’s husband died in a work accident, the insurance company had refused to pay out and the bank foreclosed on the mortgage.
Susan had piled the children and their few belongings into the old pickup. She worked at the mall as a cleaner. She and the children used the mall’s facilities and bought whatever was leftover at the restaurants at the end of the night.
Still, she had managed to keep the four children fed, clean, and in school. As the two men approached the truck, they heard cheerful voices and laughter. Then two children tumbled out of the back.
The biggest girl, about fourteen, was laughing as she tickled a boy of about seven. The children stopped and gaped at Steve and Pastor Morris. “Mom!” the girl yelled. “That old preacher friend of yours is here!”
A well-remembered voice asked from inside the tent, “Preacher Morris?” Then Susan climbed out and Steve could see the shock in her face when she saw him standing next to the pastor.
“Daddy?” she asked, and her eyes filled with tears.
Steve was shocked. His daughter was barely thirty-one, but she looked much older. Her face was worn and lined with worry and suffering, her hands coarsened by hard work.
“Susan,” Steve cried. “Look at you! Look at what HE did to my princess! I wanted so much for you! And you married that loser! What could he give you? Poverty?”
Susan shook her head and said, “He loved me, daddy, and he gave me 4 beautiful children. He died, and I had nowhere to go, but I’ve done what I can for my children. I will always love the father of my children, daddy, just like I’ve always loved you.”
Steve found that he had tears running down his face. “Forgive me, Susan,” he sobbed. “Please forgive me. Come home, I want you all to come home with me. Let me help you take care of the children!”
Steve found himself holding his weeping daughter and knew that everything was going to be alright. Susan introduced him to his three granddaughters, then she placed her hand on the boy’s shoulder. “And this,” she smiled, “is little Stevie!”
“You named him after me?” Steve asked, astounded. “After what I did?”
“I love you, daddy,” she said softly. “Don’t you know that?”
That afternoon, they all flew home to Texas. It was the beginning of a better life for all of them.
What can we learn from this story?
Love and accept your children unconditionally. Steve was furious with Susan for loving a poor man and made the biggest mistake of his life by losing his daughter.
Don’t judge people for their wealth or influence. Steve hated his son-in-law because he was poor, but he was a loving husband to Susan and a dedicated dad.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
KATIE HOLMES RAISES DAUGHTER IN COZY APARTMENT ALONE – RARE TIMES WE COULD SEE IT INSIDE
Katie Holmes, a single mother, has been residing in an apartment with her daughter ever since her divorce from Tom Cruise. The dissolution of their marriage was marked by acrimony, to the extent that the “Mission Impossible” star has been notably absent from their child’s life.
Suri, who has spent her entire life in Manhattan, New York, is on the brink of turning 18. Growing up, her mother intentionally shielded her from the public eye, particularly after parting ways with her father, partly due to ideological differences.
With this significant milestone approaching, Suri will legally become an adult according to New York state law. This newfound status grants her the opportunity to reconnect with her father and delve into the circumstances surrounding their estrangement, including discussions about his beliefs and the conflicts that ensued.
Tony Ortega, known for his extensive coverage of Scientology over the years, remarked in an interview, “Suri would have been too young to enter into any agreements, but now she is free to express herself if she chooses to, and it will be particularly intriguing if she has insights to share.”
Katie and Tom welcomed their only child together, daughter Suri Cruise, in April 2006. The couple exchanged vows months later, in November of the same year.
However, after nearly seven years of marriage, the actress filed for divorce from the actor in June 2012. Their divorce was finalized in 2013.
Allegedly, Katie decided to end the marriage out of concern for raising her daughter within Scientology, a religion to which Tom has been dedicated. Her departure from the institution and subsequent dissolution of the marriage created a significant divide between her and the movie star, leading to Tom’s distancing from their daughter over time.
Reports emerged that Katie had secretly leased a two-bedroom apartment in the Chelsea Mercantile building two weeks before filing for divorce from the “Top Gun: Maverick” star.
As the lease was nearing its end, she reportedly began planning a move from the $12,500-a-month apartment that she and her daughter had called home since the separation.
KATIE HOLMES RAISES DAUGHTER IN COZY APARTMENT ALONE – RARE TIMES WE COULD SEE IT INSIDE
Katie Holmes, a single mother, has been residing in an apartment with her daughter ever since her divorce from Tom Cruise. The dissolution of their marriage was marked by acrimony, to the extent that the “Mission Impossible” star has been notably absent from their child’s life.
Suri, who has spent her entire life in Manhattan, New York, is on the brink of turning 18. Growing up, her mother intentionally shielded her from the public eye, particularly after parting ways with her father, partly due to ideological differences.
With this significant milestone approaching, Suri will legally become an adult according to New York state law. This newfound status grants her the opportunity to reconnect with her father and delve into the circumstances surrounding their estrangement, including discussions about his beliefs and the conflicts that ensued.
Tony Ortega, known for his extensive coverage of Scientology over the years, remarked in an interview, “Suri would have been too young to enter into any agreements, but now she is free to express herself if she chooses to, and it will be particularly intriguing if she has insights to share.”
Katie and Tom welcomed their only child together, daughter Suri Cruise, in April 2006. The couple exchanged vows months later, in November of the same year.
However, after nearly seven years of marriage, the actress filed for divorce from the actor in June 2012. Their divorce was finalized in 2013.
Allegedly, Katie decided to end the marriage out of concern for raising her daughter within Scientology, a religion to which Tom has been dedicated. Her departure from the institution and subsequent dissolution of the marriage created a significant divide between her and the movie star, leading to Tom’s distancing from their daughter over time.
Reports emerged that Katie had secretly leased a two-bedroom apartment in the Chelsea Mercantile building two weeks before filing for divorce from the “Top Gun: Maverick” star.
As the lease was nearing its end, she reportedly began planning a move from the $12,500-a-month apartment that she and her daughter had called home since the separation.
During that period, the “Dawson’s Creek” alum sought to purchase her own spacious apartment in Manhattan. Sources indicated that Katie aimed to establish permanent roots for her daughter by becoming a homeowner.
Now, Suri has reached adulthood, and it was revealed that she was applying to colleges earlier this year with her devoted mother’s support. While her famous father remains estranged from her life, the three-time Golden Globe Award winner has agreed to cover his daughter’s college expenses.
Tom has been fulfilling his financial obligations by paying child support over the years, agreeing to provide $400,000 annually until Suri reaches 18. Despite the estrangement, he has consistently met his responsibilities in terms of financial support.
Expressing her desire to study fashion in New York City, Suri’s mother intends for her to remain close by so they can maintain their strong bond. Katie, described as “extremely overprotective,” is apprehensive about her daughter leaving the nest, according to insiders.
In a candid interview in 2017, Katie emphasized the paramount importance of motherhood and her unconditional love for Suri. She expressed her dedication to providing her daughter with a stable and nurturing environment, underscoring the joy she derives from witnessing her child thrive.
Additionally, Katie shared her enjoyment of spending quality time with Suri, particularly in the kitchen during mornings, reminiscing about preparing breakfast for her when she was ten years old.
When it comes to dinner, the brunette beauty shared that they often enjoy their favorite dishes, which include “pasta and lasagna.” During Suri’s early years, around the age of six, she and her mother would frequent the park at unconventional hours due to the heightened attention surrounding her parents’ publicized separation. Reflecting on this period in a July 2022 interview, Katie disclosed:
“We would head to the park at 6 a.m. just to spend time outdoors.”
Despite Tom’s decision to not engage with their daughter, Katie has remained steadfast in ensuring that it does not impact Suri’s upbringing, according to a source. The insider noted that being raised by a single parent has played a significant role in shaping Suri’s character.
The teenager holds an unwavering affection for her mother and has been characterized as “intelligent.” She is evolving into a “mature and insightful” individual who possesses a strong sense of her roots.
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