Single mother heard son say 'mom' for the first time after adopting him 3 years ago

Raising a child at each phase of their life is different and quite a task. The one thing that doesn’t change over time is the joy of being called “mama,” “mum,” “ma,” “mommy” and so on. Hearing those words can be heart-warming to a mother, especially when a child is adopted. Adoption is a beautiful thing. It's the gift of choosing one special addition to bring into the family. Such an uplifting story was shared by a single mum, who took to Reddit to share the immense joy she experienced with her adopted son.

In a post by u/Fluffy-Hope9368, the mother gave a little background and explained, “I welcomed a 9-year-old boy into my life. His parents had passed away in a car crash. I still remember when I first laid my eyes on him, I knew I wanted to adopt him, even if he was already 9. I just had this urge to protect and take care of him.” She continued to explain how everything was new and tough as in most cases. In her words, “He would address me by my first name, which I was completely fine with. To him, I wasn't his mom, and I understood that” she gave an understanding that both were trying to settle in.

She shared, “Over time, he began to settle into our new life together. Our bond deepened and we got very close!" The journey she shared with her son over the first years gradually began to get better. Then she came to the part that brought her utmost joy.

Narrating it as excitedly as possible she said, “We were in the kitchen, him doing some exercises while I prepared dinner. I was focused on my task when I suddenly heard his voice. ‘Um. Mom. Can you help me with this?’ His exact words.” After 3 whole years, she finally heard her son call her "mom" when she least expected it. Emotions flooded through her as she froze trying to analyze the situation. “For a moment, I was frozen. After a few seconds, I turned my gaze back to him and noticed a nervous expression on his face. I tried to act cool.”

The mother continued in her post, “I tried to keep a poker face, but on the inside, my heart was thumping and I wanted to hug him and ruffle his hair, although I held myself back because I didn't want him to feel creeped out.” However, it happened again and she wrote, “As much as I tried holding back, I ended up randomly hugging him before going to bed. That's when I heard it again. ‘Mom? What is it?’” What followed was a positively awkward exchange of a few words between the mother and son. The mother who had been aching to hear these words over the 3 years heard it in the most natural, comforting way possible.

Receiving over 4.3k upvotes, the post resonated with many people on the platform. Weird-Breakfast-7259 commented, "I raised a son from age 3, I never said call me dad. His dad had passed a few months before. When he was 14, his mom passed due to cancer.  At around 12 he started to introduce us to new people as his 'Mom and Dad.' It makes me smile even now. Good job on doing whatever you are doing." AccomplishedLevel545 said, "I came back to read this again because it was so beautiful and pure." rodimus147 wrote, "This made the lump in my throat, and the watery eyes show up. I'm very happy for you."

Hearing her son address her as ‘mom’ and asking for help gave her the assurance that he had begun to trust her and that the relationship is moving forward. For the son, though nervous and doubtful himself, he gave his mother that title and showed a form of acceptance. Her expressions let him know that it is the most beautiful thing that could have happened to her. It is a bond that was sowed and had finally begun to take root.