Jason had always been our favourite person. He was a bright star who did great in everything he did. As a child, Jason was interested and caring, and as a teen, he was a dynamic leader. He had always made us happy. As parents, we had high hopes for his future. We saw him running our family business and becoming a well-liked leader in our community.
We had other plans, though, thank goodness. Even though we told him he should study business management, he had been quietly following his real interest, which was helping animals. We sent him money every month because we thought it would help pay for his school and living costs. But that wasn’t even close to the truth.
Our lives were turned upside down when I found out the shocking truth that Jason wasn’t even going to college. By chance, I found out the truth when I went to his claimed university. It shocked me. What made our son lie to us? We sent him money, but what was he doing with it?
I chose to look into it further because I wanted to find out what was going on. I put a GPS tracking device in Jason’s pocket. The next thing I saw shocked me to the core. I used the device to find Jason and my brother Tom in a small, rusty caravan on the edge of town.
Finally, the truth came out: Jason had been spending the money on his dream project to build a veterinary centre. He had been working hard with Tom to make his dream come true, and it was clear that this was his real calling.
As a mom, I felt angry, sad, and proud at the same time. Even though I was mad that Jason lied to us, I was proud of him for following his heart and doing what he loved. It took me months to understand what had happened, but I finally understood that Jason’s choice to go his own way wasn’t an insult to us, but a sign of how strong and kind he is.
We are happy to say that Jason’s veterinary business is doing very well these days. He is really making a difference in the lives of pets and their owners. It helps us remember that as parents, there are times when it’s best to let go and let our kids go their own way.
