Stella’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Anna Perkins, didn’t want her disabled father to attend her wedding because everyone would see his hand. She didn’t defend him at first, but then, Mrs. Perkins went too far.
“I’m so sorry, Dad. But I don’t think you can attend the wedding. My mother-in-law is so insistent, and Roger agrees with her,” Stella told her father on the phone.
“That’s ok, sweetheart. I want you to be happy and have the best day ever. I won’t attend,” Bob, her father, responded. Bob said he only wanted the best, having raised his daughter as a single parent. However, this was a devastating blow.
Stella met her fiancé, Roger, about a year earlier, and their wedding was coming up soon. Bob had been looking forward to walking Stella down the aisle, but he never imagined that Roger’s family would hate him so much.
Bob did two tours in the Middle East before retiring from the military, and he lost his hand after an IED detonated. His friend took him to the hospital after his hand was badly injured.
Eventually, they managed to bandage Bob’s hand, but he never regained its full mobility, and the scars were painful reminders of that traumatic situation. He had been able to forget all about it over the years. When his final tour ended, he went to college and met the love of his life.
Lisa was a ray of sunshine and one of the only people who didn’t make him feel like he was utterly disabled or ugly. They were in a fast-paced romance that culminated in a quick marriage. Lisa became pregnant much earlier than she expected. Both were thrilled.
Her pregnancy was not easy and she was diagnosed with Placenta Acreta by doctors too late. Stella, their daughter, survived the emergency C-section but Lisa didn’t.
Bob knew he would never be able to love someone as much as he loved Lisa. He dedicated his whole life to Stella. Stella was as kind and compassionate as her mother, and he worried she would be afraid of him. She was bright and proud that her father served their country as a hero.
Sadly, other people were not as compassionate and judged him. Some of his fellow parents at Stella’s school pulled their kids away when he approached. Stella was completely at ease and supported her dad.
That’s why this phone call came as a huge surprise to him. Roger was the first person she had ever let walk over her. Roger was a good guy, but his family is pushy. They were both extremely wealthy and had conservative views.
They were initially thrilled to meet Bob. But when Mrs. Perkins saw him, she was immediately skeptical.
“Mom, this is Sergeant Bob Matthews, Stella’s father,” Roger introduced them. Bob extended his good hand to Mrs. Perkins, but she didn’t extend hers.
“Oh, well. Yes, nice to meet you,” she said, trying to seem polite but not managing. “What happened to your hand?”
“Mom! I told you that Mr. Matthews was injured on tour,” Roger was embarrassed by the bluntness of his mother’s words.
“As your son said, Mrs. Perkins, I got injured on tour,” Bob explained. Roger’s mother nodded and focused on dinner.
Stella pulled her father aside and said, “I’m sorry, Dad. I don’t know what’s going on with her. She’s normally super polite to guests.”
“Don’t worry about it, darling,” he told her.
He was much more friendly than Stella and offered him a beer. The rest of their first meeting went well. But as Stella and Roger’s wedding approached, his mother had more demands.
Stella was asked by Mrs. Perkins to wear her wedding dress. She refused. She demanded more control, so they let it go. However, Mrs. Perkins told them to exclude her dad because of the many influential people who were attending. Source: Pexels Stella continued on the phone.
“I don’t know what to do, Dad. She’s driving me crazy,” Stella continued on the phone.
“Honey, what does Roger say? Is he allowing his mother to walk all over your decisions? If so, that won’t change once you get married,” Bob said it cautiously.
“Roger doesn’t want to upset his mother. He never goes against her. I finally got her to accept that I want to choose my wedding dress, but she is coming with us shopping later,” Stella explained.
“Well, that’s something you two have to talk about before the wedding,” Bob offered his advice.
“I will. Thank you, Dad. I’m going to talk to her about this crazy idea. I need you at my wedding. You’re my father, for God’s sake!” Stella concluded with conviction. That’s my daughter, Bob thought.
Stella, her bridesmaids, and Mrs. Perkins went to the dress shop. She began to pick out all the dresses she liked and even tried on some of Mrs. Perkins’ options to make her happy.
“Mrs. Perkins?” Stella started.
“Dear, you can call me Anna or Mom. We’re going to be family soon,” Mrs. Perkins spoke sweetly.
“Ok, Anna. Speaking of family. I can’t just exclude my father from my wedding. He has to walk me down the aisle,” Stella explained.
“I thought we had already decided this. Many important people are coming to the wedding, and your father…well… he doesn’t look the best in pictures,” Mrs. Perkins replied. “Also, you won’t be seeing him much after you get married anyway, and my grandchildren definitely won’t.”
“Excuse me?” Stella asked, shocked.
“I’m not going to let my grandchildren around that monster. No, thank you. You should listen to me. I know what’s best for my Roger,” Mrs. Perkins finished. Stella had enough. She returned to her dressing room and called Roger.
“Honey, my mother can be pushy and likes to get her way, but she means well,” Roger cajoled.
“She went too far, Roger! Your mother called my father a monster, and you’re not going to do anything?” Stella asked angrily.
“What do you want me to do?” Roger replied, dumbfounded.
“You know what I want? I want you to find another woman because I’m done with you, your lack of a spine, and your horrible mother. GOODBYE!” Stella screamed, and Roger hung up. She changed back into her clothes and exited the dressing room.
“The wedding is off. I don’t want to be related to such a horrible woman!” she yelled at Mrs. Perkins. The older woman gasped while Stella’s bridesmaids smiled. They knew that their friend had done the right things.
She returned home to tell her father all that had happened. “Are you sure that’s what you want, baby? You love Roger,” Bob was concerned about her relationship and asked him questions.
“If he can’t stand up to his mother, then he is not the man I thought he was,” Stella said the words while hugging her dad. Roger arrived at their home that night to apologize for all the wrongs. He said that everything would be different.
Stella wasn’t sure if he could keep that promise, but Roger did. They uninvited Mrs. Perkins and most of the people she had added to the wedding list. Roger and Stella decided a smaller ceremony was better for them.
In the end, Stella’s father walked her down the aisle and was the best grandfather to her kids. Mrs. Perkins tried to get back into their good graces, but Roger himself wouldn’t allow it. Stella couldn’t have been prouder of her husband.
What lessons can we draw from this story?
- Ableism is not acceptable. Mrs. Perkins wanted Bob excluded from everything due to his disability. However, karma taught them a valuable lesson.
- You must have a spine. Some people can’t stand up to their parents, even when they are wrong. Roger had no choice but to stand up for Stella or risk losing her forever.
This story is worth sharing with friends. This story might bring joy to their lives and encourage them.