When Arnold sees his poor mother at his wedding, he becomes furious because he told her not to come. She hands him a gift and gives him a toast, and Arnold bursts into tears and drops to his knees the next minute.
“Ah, look, someone is leaving the café smiling. Just look at her blush!” Diana’s boss said as a wave of laughter rumbled across the eatery’s kitchen.
“We’ll be there, Miss Diana. What time is the wedding?” a co-worker asked as others flocked around Diana, who couldn’t stop blushing.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“It’s at 11 a.m. this Sunday. I’ll be looking forward to seeing all of you at the church.”
The 60-year-old was a cleaner at the café. She had taken half a day off to buy the best wedding suit for her only son, Arnold. Diana spent a long-time shopping for the blue suit. It was pretty expensive, but she wasn’t bothered. “My boy should look his best!” she thought.
Diana had spent all her savings on buying her son’s suit, and she couldn’t wait to see his reaction when she surprised him at home…
“I can’t wait to see him get married!” Diana thought. She had been impatiently waiting for this moment ever since Arnold told her about his plans to marry his girlfriend, Masha.
“Son, look what I got for you!” Diana burst into their home, suit in hand and a beaming smile on her face. “I’m sure you’ll love this! Can you please try it on? The seller assured me I could still exchange it if there’s something wrong with the fit.”
Arnold walked away to throw his mother’s gift he thought was ‘garbage,’ but he was interrupted by her voice on the mic.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
She took out the suit from the garment bag and showed it to Arnold, who frowned. He was not pleased.
“I’m not wearing such an ordinary suit for my wedding. I’m marrying a rich man’s daughter and should look my best. I would look tacky in that cheap suit.”
Diana’s eyes started to fill with tears. She pretended she was okay, but her son’s words silenced her. She was disappointed, and her heart felt heavy.
But nothing crushed her more than when Arnold told her: “One more thing…I don’t want you to come to my wedding. Everyone from my fiancée’s wealthy family will be attending. I don’t want you to be there in your dirty clothes and spoil my image. Everyone will ask me what you do, and I don’t want to have to tell them you’re just a cleaner.”
Diana could no longer hold back her tears. She hurried to her room and locked herself away. She cried the rest of the day because she was terribly hurt. Arnold was too busy to check on her and left to attend to the wedding preparations. The celebration was in two days.
It was Sunday—Arnold’s much-awaited big day. And despite her son’s prohibitions, Diana wouldn’t miss such a beautiful moment. She pulled herself together and checked her wardrobe, picking the prettiest dress she had, then she got ready.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
“You are too young to understand this mother’s wish and pain. I cannot afford to miss your big day, son. I’m coming,” she said aloud as she stared at herself in the mirror.
Diana packed an old ceramic vase she intended to give as a gift to her son. When she arrived at the church, she saw her colleagues and boss were already there. She was happy and, for a moment, forgot Arnold had asked her not to attend his wedding.
“Howdy, Miss Diana! I’m sure you are the happiest mother on earth!” her boss commented.
Diana smiled and walked in with the heavy gift box. She watched the bride and groom exchange wedding rings and then kiss. Even if she wanted to, Diana could not stop her tears from flowing. She was delighted. “I’ve done it!” she said.
Following the wedding, a lavish reception took place. Several wealthy guests flocked to the venue to greet the newlyweds. Arnold saw his mom approaching and was shocked. He raised his eyebrows in disgust. “Why has she come? I told her not to spoil my day!” he thought.
“Congrats, darling! You two look amazing! Best wishes!” said Diana, handing the gift to her son.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Flickr/claytron (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Arnold looked around and realized the moment was being photographed. He didn’t want to make a scene, so he shyly took the gift from his mother. He slightly tore open the box and saw the vase inside. “She gave me an old vase lying around in the house? How cheap?!” he groaned.
Arnold walked away to throw his mother’s gift he thought was ‘garbage,’ but he was interrupted by her voice on the mic. Arnold turned pale with shock. He had no idea that a twenty-five-year-old secret she’d been keeping from him would be unraveled that day.
“Twenty-five years ago, just minutes before my best friend died….” began Diana, who quickly looked up at the ceiling as tears started to gather in her eyes.
“She gave me an old vase and told me to give it to her son the day he gets married. It was a gift from her late parents, and she wanted her son to have it.”
Arnold did not understand what his mother was saying.
“After she died, I adopted her little son and raised him as my own. I never married anyone because I wanted to devote my time and love only to my child. Son, it’s time to check out what your late mother left you in that vase. Cheers!” Diana lifted a glass for a toast as a shocked Arnold inspected the vase.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pixabay
He was flabbergasted. Inside the old ceramic vase were wads of cash. Tears gushed from his eyes as he dropped to his knees.
Arnold realized the woman he was ashamed of was not his birth mother but the one who sacrificed her whole life to raise him. She was more than a mother to him. She was his savior and guardian angel who saved him after he was orphaned.
“I’ve kept my promise to my late friend. I’m happy for you, son. Take care, and God bless you!” Diana finished. She walked toward the entrance to leave, but Arnold couldn’t let her go like that. He raced after her and blocked her way.
“Mom, I’m sorry. Your love for me is priceless. I’m sorry for hurting you. I was never a good son, but you were always a good mother to me. Why didn’t you tell me I was an orphan? Please don’t leave me. I don’t want to become an orphan again.”
Diana hugged Arnold, and they returned to the stage, where the groom danced with his mother.
“I love you, mom!” he whispered, and Diana smiled, tears of joy gushing from her eyes.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
What can we learn from this story?
A mother will do anything for her child, even look past his faults to see him happy. Though her son forbade her from attending his wedding out of shame, Diana chose to ignore that because she wanted to witness her son’s big day and his happiness.
No amount of money can measure up to the love a mother has for her child. When Arnold learned Diana had raised him and given him a better life after his birth mother’s death, he regretted uninviting her to his wedding. No amount of wealth could measure up to Diana’s love for him.
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Shannen Doherty, ‘Beverly Hills 90210’ and ‘Charmed’ Star, Dies at 53
Shannen Doherty, known for her roles on the wildly popular series “Beverly Hills, 90210” and on the witchcraft fantasy “Charmed,” has died after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. She was 53.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress, Shannen Doherty,” Doherty’s publicist Leslie Sloane said in a statement. “On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease. The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace.”
Doherty rose to fame in 1990 as the fresh-faced brunette Brenda Walsh on Fox’s “Beverly Hills, 90210.” Along with her twin brother Brandon, played by Jason Priestly, the Walshes were the classic fish-out-of-water family that had recently moved from Minnesota to Beverly Hills and were constantly amazed at the antics of the L.A. rich kids.
The romance between Brenda and Dylan, played by Luke Perry, spawned controversy in the first season for the storyline where Brenda considers losing her virginity. Their later breakup, when Dylan hooked up with her best friend Kelly, played by Jennie Garth, was also big news, and the show was considered groundbreaking in its willingness to address topics like drug abuse and racism.
The show was a massive hit, and with its success came an inordinate amount of scrutiny and gossip surrounding the cast, including teen-aged Doherty. Though the show had started out with Garth’s Kelly as the less likable character, the perception soon changed and Brenda become the cast member everyone loved to hate on. She was labeled a diva in the press and there was even a pre-internet newsletter called “I Hate Brenda.” Doherty appeared in 111 episodes before leaving the series at the end of season four, amid reports of friction with other cast members, particularly Garth.
By the time the show was rebooted two more times, everyone had mellowed with age and Doherty returned as Brenda in the 2008 revival “90210” for one season and in the later revival 2019 “BH90210.”
After her stormy departure from “Beverly Hills, 90210,” Doherty found her footing on “Charmed,” the supernatural drama following three sisters who discover they are witches and must work together to fight evil. She played the oldest of the three sisters, Prue Halliwell, alongside Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs. In 2000 and 2001, she directed three episodes of the series — “Be Careful What You Witch For,” “The Good, The Bad, and The Cursed,” and “All Hell Breaks Loose,” the last episode she appeared in. Her character was killed off when she left the series at the end of the third season.
Born in Memphis, Tenn., Doherty moved to Los Angeles with her family as a child and got her start at age 10 with a role on the series “Father Murphy.” Michael Landon saw her in the series and cast her as Jenny Wilder in “Little House on the Prairie” at age 11.
Doherty then had a recurring role on the family series “Our House” with Wilfred Brimley,
In feature films, she appeared in another teen classic, “Heathers,” as well as in “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and Kevin Smith’s “Mallrats” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.”
Among the other shows she appeared on were “North Shore,” and “Riverdale” as well as in a number of TV movies.
In 2006, she produced a reality show, “Breaking Up With Shannen Doherty,” where she helped people in relationship peril who wanted to get out but couldn’t do it on their own, and later appeared in another reality show, “Off the Map With Shannen and Holly.”
Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2015, and in 2017 said she was in remission. But by 2019 the cancer had returned and spread. She continued working, with roles in TV movies including “Dying to Belong” and “List of a Lifetime.” Doherty also hosted a popular podcast, “Let’s Be Clear With Shannen Doherty,” in which she discussed her career and talked frankly about how breast cancer had impacted her life.
In June 2023, she said she had been receiving radiation for cancer that had spread to her brain.
She was briefly married to George Hamilton’s son Ashley Hamilton and poker player Rick Salomon, and in 2011 she married photographer Kurt Iswarienko. They filed for divorce in 2023.
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