Mom

14This story may contain sensitive material or discuss topics that some readers may find distressing. Reader discretion is advised. The views and opinions expressed in this story are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Vocal. Mom Submission into the Out of Order challenge Jesse Lee By Jesse Lee Published 3 days ago • Updated 3 days ago • 2 min read Top Story - May 2026 6 7 You lie dying. I travel hours to be there because he refuses to respect your wishes. You would rather have died than accept what he did to keep you alive. “No, you can’t watch the kids.” Because the last time you did, I had to meet you at the hospital while my son lay bleeding. An inch closer and he’d be dead. You can’t nap with a toddler running free in your Victorian-themed home. I am too young to support a family. I’m still just a kid. Move to Florida with our grandparents. I can’t take care of you. My earliest memories are of you. Reading to me as a child. The shape of the bottle you put my juice in. Maybe Dad wouldn’t have left if you weren’t so miserable all the time! Why can’t I seem to do enough to make you proud? My sister screams at you, and you seem to understand her. It’s obvious she suits you better than I do. Why are you taking her side? I’m your son. You and her didn’t even like each other. I’m like my father? I can’t believe I married her. You and her are the same! I’m 14 but I’m pretty sure you can’t chase us with belts and beat us uncontrollably just because of my brother’s depression. My best friend and roommate is gone now. It will never be like this between us again. At least he is safe. Please stop begging me to come home. Nothing about home feels safe. I need to make it on my own. She broke my heart. I can’t believe I’m crying in front of YOU. No one will love me like you do?! Dear God, I hope that’s true! What is happening in my brain? I can’t see her like this. She is so weak. She is messing all over the floor. I’m breaking. I can’t stand your new husband. No, I will not call him Dad! Better that he is taking care of you than me, though. I need to live my life. Your teeth were beautiful. Now they are falling out. Another sign of his neglect. I wish you were dead. Not for me. For you. This is no way to live. You see this calendar?! I’m months away from being a legal adult. I don’t have to absorb your crazy anymore! I’m going to be a man and make it on my own! I finally forgive you, Mom. Not because you asked me to. Because I need to. You can’t hurt me anymore. Will I miss you? I don’t know. I love you. Goodbye. This piece, “Mom” by Jesse Lee, is written as a series of fragmented memories and emotional moments between a son and his mother. It moves through different stages of his life — childhood, teenage years, adulthood, and finally her death. The story is about: trauma resentment abuse guilt love forgiveness complicated family relationships The structure feels broken and “out of order” on purpose, matching the emotional confusion of memory and grief. Here’s a breakdown of the main ideas. The Mother-Son Relationship The narrator clearly loves his mother deeply, but their relationship was painful and unstable. At different points: she cared for him lovingly as a child she failed to protect him she emotionally hurt him he abandoned or rejected her at times he later feels guilt and compassion The story shows how love and pain can exist together in families. Important Sections Explained “You lie dying…” The mother is near death. The narrator travels to see her because someone else (“he,” likely her husband or caretaker) ignored her wishes and kept her alive artificially. This line: “You would rather have died than accept what he did to keep you alive.” suggests she suffered greatly near the end of her life. “No, you can’t watch the kids.” This reveals neglect. The mother once endangered the narrator’s child because she fell asleep while caring for him. The child was badly injured. This moment shows: the narrator no longer trusts her generational damage continues into the next generation Childhood Memories “Reading to me as a child…” These softer lines remind us: she was not only harmful she also loved him he still treasures small memories of comfort This complexity makes the story emotionally powerful. Anger Toward the Mother Lines like: “Maybe Dad wouldn’t have left…” and “Why can’t I seem to do enough to make you proud?” show a child desperately wanting approval. He feels: rejected compared to his sister emotionally misunderstood Abuse “I’m 14 but I’m pretty sure you can’t chase us with belts…” This strongly suggests physical abuse in the household. The mention of his brother’s depression and unsafe home life shows a deeply dysfunctional family environment. Leaving Home “Nothing about home feels safe.” This is a turning point. The narrator leaves because survival and independence feel safer than staying with family. Adult Realization As the mother ages, her health deteriorates: weakness possible dementia or illness neglect by her husband losing teeth loss of dignity The narrator begins seeing her less as a terrifying parent and more as a broken human being. The Most Important Theme: Forgiveness The ending is extremely important: “I finally forgive you, Mom. Not because you asked me to. Because I need to.” This means forgiveness is not for her benefit. It is for his own healing. He realizes: carrying hatred is destroying him she no longer has power over him he can let go without pretending the abuse never happened Then the final lines: “Will I miss you? I don’t know. I love you. Goodbye.” show emotional honesty. He does not suddenly become sentimental. He still feels conflicted. But despite everything, love remains. Why the Story Feels So Powerful The story works because it avoids simple “good parent/bad parent” answers. The mother is: loving harmful vulnerable abusive human The narrator is: angry guilty hurt compassionate That emotional contradiction is what makes the piece realistic and heartbreaking.