My mom has always been very greedy. Despite my parents’ good income, I grew up in thrift clothes, never attended birthday parties to avoid buying gifts, and had no idea about pocket money. Dad would secretly spoil me with movies and treats, but after he passed away, life became unbearable. When mom took my college money, I was DONE. I left and cut ties with her. A few days ago, I got a call: my mom died. After the funeral, I went to sort out some of her things. Among the modest dresses, I saw her diary.

As I opened the worn leather cover and began reading, I could hardly believe what I was seeing. The pages revealed a different story, one that contradicted everything I had ever known. Tears started to stream down my face as I read:

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**July 10, 1995**

“Dear diary, I hate what I have to do, but it’s the only way to protect her. Tom’s gambling addiction has drained our accounts again. I don’t know how to face Lily and tell her that we can’t afford the things she wants and needs. I have to lie. She can never know that her father is the reason for our struggles.”

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**November 23, 1997**

“Dear diary, today was Lily’s school play. She looked so beautiful and happy. I had to buy her costume from a thrift store, but she didn’t seem to mind. I wish I could give her more. Tom promised he’d stop gambling, but I found receipts from the casino again. I’ve hidden the truth from Lily for so long. I just want her to have a normal life, but how can I when all our money disappears into his addiction?”

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**March 12, 2000**

“Dear diary, today Tom was fired. Again. His drinking has gotten worse, and I don’t know how to keep things together. Lily asked why she couldn’t go to her friend’s birthday party. How do I explain that we can’t afford even a small gift? It breaks my heart to see her sad, but it’s better she thinks I’m the reason for our poverty than to know the truth about her father.”

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**June 5, 2005**

“Dear diary, Tom is gone. The relief I feel is overshadowed by guilt. He was my husband, but he was destroying us. Now, I can start to rebuild. But Lily hates me. She doesn’t understand why I couldn’t give her the things she wanted. She thinks I’m greedy, but I’d give anything to have given her a better life. Today, she found out I took her college money. How can I explain that it went to pay off Tom’s debts so we wouldn’t lose the house? She’ll never forgive me. I just hope she finds happiness away from me. She deserves so much more than I could give.”

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By the time I finished reading, my heart ached with a mixture of sorrow and regret. Everything I had believed about my mother was a lie. Her greed wasn’t for herself; it was a shield, a way to protect me from the harsh reality of our lives. I had hated her for so long, only to discover that she had been sacrificing everything for me.

I closed the diary, holding it to my chest as tears flowed freely. My mother had endured so much to shield me from pain, and in doing so, she had become the villain in my eyes. The realization was almost too much to bear.

I knew what I had to do. I needed to forgive her, even if she was no longer here to hear it. I had to let go of the anger and resentment and remember her for the mother who loved me enough to bear the burden of my father’s sins alone.

With a heavy heart but newfound understanding, I left the house, determined to honor my mother’s memory by living a life filled with the compassion and strength she had shown me in her own hidden way.