Emily had been looking forward to dinner with her son, Dean. Since he’d started college, he’d grown distant, and she missed their closeness. She chose a cozy restaurant, hoping it would help them reconnect. But as soon as they sat down, Dean barely looked up from his phone. He even made a cold remark about her wheelchair being parked too close to the restroom.

Trying not to let it get to her, Emily asked about his classes, eager to bridge the gap. Dean brushed her off with a sigh, clearly uninterested. When Emily’s hand slipped and her glass shattered on the floor, he exploded. His voice rose above the clinking dishes and chatter: “You’re embarrassing, Mom—I didn’t even want to come!” Emily’s heart sank as tears welled up in her eyes.

That’s when the restaurant owner approached and calmly told Dean to sit down. He shared a story about his own mother, who had also used a wheelchair and raised him on her own. He spoke with pride and regret—pride in who she was, and regret that she wasn’t there to see who he’d become. “You have your mother here,” he told Dean. “That’s not a burden. That’s a gift.”