We often tell ourselves that we’ll have time later.
That we can visit next week .
Call next month .
Say “I love you” one more time .
But life doesn’t always wait.
This is the story of a man who thought he was doing the right thing — placing his aging mother in a nursing home after his father passed.
But it’s also a story about regret , redemption , and the unforgiving truth :
What goes around, comes around.
A Decision Made in Good Faith
After the sudden passing of his father, the son was overwhelmed.
His mother, once sharp and independent, began to struggle — with memory, with mobility, with daily routines.
He worked full-time.
He had a family of his own.
He told himself: “I can’t give her the care she needs.”
So he made the decision:
👉 He moved her into a nursing home.
She cried the day he left.
She asked, “Will you come back soon?”
He said, “Of course, Mom. I’ll visit all the time.”
But he didn’t.
Visits became rare — a few times a year.
Phone calls? Even fewer.
He told himself he was busy.
That she was “in good hands.”
That she’d understand.
But every time he drove past the facility, his chest tightened.
Still, he kept going.
The Call That Changed Everything
Then, one cold Tuesday morning, the phone rang.
It was the nursing home.
His mother’s health had deteriorated rapidly .
She was weak. Barely eating. Barely speaking.
The nurse said gently:
“You should come soon. She may not have much time.”
His heart dropped.
He rushed to the facility, guilt pressing on his chest with every step.
When he entered her room, she was lying still, eyes half-open, skin pale.
He sat beside her, took her hand, and whispered,
“Mom… I’m here. Is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all?”
She turned her head slowly, looked into his eyes — deep, quiet, knowing — and said,
“Yes. There are three things I’d like before I go.”
He leaned in.
“I’ll do anything, Mom. Just name it.”
Her Three Final Requests
She spoke softly, each word a whisper of a lifetime:
1. “Bring me home.”
