Woman Thanks Ex-Boyfriend's Kid For Making Her Feel Loved
Jen and her brother, Todd, were just 10 and 12 years old when their father began dating Shirley Norton. It was 1986. Their love affair was short-lived, lasting only a year.
And while it may have been brief, it left an impact that stayed with Shirley until she died.
Eighteen years later, Jen received a phone call out of the blue. It was from a bank manager, informing her that Shirley had bequeathed $50,000 each to her and her brother. But in addition to the inheritance, Shirley also left behind a note.
A Random Phone Call
@intoxicatedinsights69 Absolutely gut wrenching story! Step parents truly are angels on earth. Thank you guys for all that you do. Thank you to the endlessly fascinating Jen, for sharing this story with us. Full episode is out. Link in bio
Jen recently shared her story on her podcast, Intoxicated Insights. She also posted a clip of the episode on TikTok where it has gone viral, garnering more than 2 million views, 237,000 likes, and nearly 5,000 comments.
"I get a random phone call, this is like 2004, I have two small children," she explained to her co-host Sage.
"I get this random call from this woman from Utah who's a bank manager telling me that one of my dad's ex-girlfriends has passed away and left me and my brother $50,000 each."
Jen via TikTok
Initially, she thought she was being punked. It took the bank manager more than half an hour to finally convince Jen to provide her address.
She explained to Sage that the woman the bank manager called her about was "legit" one of her father's ex-girlfriends and they had only dated for one year before he broke up with her. But throughout that year, Shirley took care of Jen, buying her clothes, decorating her room, and being "absolutely sweet" to her.
Jen remembers the day Shirley left. She begged Shirley to take her with her.
"I might have seen her like maybe one or two more times but my dad got a new girlfriend and that was that."
Until 18 years later...
When Jen received the mail from the bank manager she discovered that in addition to the cash, Shirley had also left behind a two-page letter.
Jen has held onto that letter for 20 years.
The Letter From Her Father's Ex-Girlfriend
Jen's father's ex-girlfriend bequeathed $50,000 each to her and her brother. But in addition to the inheritance, she also left behind a note.
Youtube/intoxicatedinsights
Holding back tears, Jen read Shirley's letter aloud:
"Dear Todd and Jenny, I bet you both are asking yourself, who is she?" the letter began.
"I met you and your father in 1986 when you were about 10 and 12 years old. You each made a remarkable impact on me. You were both great kids. You were friendly and made me feel welcome in your lives."
To further jog the siblings' memories, Shirley wrote that at the time Jen wanted to be an actress and own a pink Ferrari. She talked about going to SeaWorld and spending Thanksgiving at Lake Tahoe. She reminisced about Knotts Berry Farm and eating dinner together on the Queen Mary.
"Todd, when we went to Circus Circus, you won a little stuffed lion for me," she added. "I still have it."
And when Jenny went to camp? She made Shirley a wall hanging out of a pie plate. "I still have it too," Shirley wrote.
"I never had any children of my own," she added. "But for that one year you made me feel like I was part of your family."
Cue the tears.
Shirley also shared in the letter that she'd had a kidney transplant in 1992. "This gift of life gave me many extra years so I could enjoy this amazing world."
She ended the letter, writing: "I had a good life. I would like to make your life a little easier and more secure. I pray you both have wonderful lives. P.S. Jenny, please don't buy a pink Ferrari," she joked before adding, "But if you really want one, buy it."
"We don't always know the impact we make on someone's life"
@intoxicatedinsights69 Replying to @AileneTH jen says thank you!
The money came at a time when Jen needed it most. In a follow-up TikTok she explains her son had just been diagnosed with autism.
"At the time my youngest son had just got diagnosed with autism and so the money was great because I paid for a lot of therapies for him."
She also shared that the family moved "and it did make my life a lot better." (Although she never did get that pink Ferrari).
But it's the letter that is truly priceless.
"The letter was the best. I've held onto it for all these years. I read it, it's sad, and it always touches my heart."
Jen via TikTok
It's also touched the hearts of more than 2 million TikTok viewers.
"Perfect example that we don’t always know the impact we make on someone’s life. She never forgot you," one commenter wrote.
"Omg I’m sobbing 😭.. that was so so sweet," wrote another. "All the memories she still had of the kids ❤️❤️"
A third said, "As an adult child of divorce who’s Dad had many girlfriends that I loved but never got to say goodbye to, this helped to heal me. Maybe they loved me as much as I loved them."
Sometimes people aren't meant to stay in our lives. They are there for a short time and then they're gone. But just because they are no longer with us, it doesn't mean they are forgotten.
Shirley never forgot the time she spent with Jenny and Todd, even two decades later. Her generous bequest and heartfelt letter were a testament to the deep impact their brief connection had on her life.
It's also a sweet reminder that blood isn't what binds a family together. It's love, no matter how briefly we get to share it.
*Featured image contains photo by cottonbro studio
Don't Wait for Your Dreams to Bring You What You Crave
That “thing” you are chasing is not going to bring you everything you’re imagining.
If you are reading this, you are probably striving to achieve something great in your life. You have a vision for how things will be better in a week, month, or year from now. Not an hour goes by where you don’t think about what it will feel like to have that thing you crave.
You should hold your vision close. The clarity and sense of purpose that come from a strong vision will aid you as you move the needle closer to your goals. But there’s an inherent problem with always being focused on the future, too. When you always think forward, life speeds up. Questions about how and when you’ll get things pop up like whack-a-mole in your mind. Solving problems becomes increasingly difficult under this type of duress. You feel a chronic sense of urgency to achieve more than you did yesterday, and it can at times be overwhelming.
Forward thinking is useful, but it’s not the only tool in your toolbox. Whatever dream you are chasing, it would benefit you to slow down and remember what’s available to you right now. Make sure that the thing you are striving after isn’t already sitting in your pocket.
Don't Wait for Your Dreams to Bring You What You Desire
Take a moment to consider the goal you’ve set, and ask yourself:
What will you have, be, or be capable of doing once you’ve reached it that you undisputably cannot have, be or do now?
This question sheds light on the beliefs we hold about ourselves and the resources available to us right now. Is satisfaction impossible if you don’t reach your end result? Do you need to have, be or do something before you can feel great about yourself?
The most common obstacle I run into when asking people this question is that money will help them achieve their goals.
“Well if I had more money I could be/have/do this, and…”
I’m not saying more money won’t do that. It certainly can. But you run the risk of missing out on all that’s available to you right now if you only ever employ your focus forward towards the perceived promised land of more money or the accomplishments you’re seeking.
There are more, but here are three examples of things that money, personal achievements, or results of any kind cannot give you:
1. Self-love
Money can’t buy you a better relationship with yourself.
Do you scoff when you think about loving yourself? You’re certainly not alone. But I’d bet the house that you are consistently inconsistent and fall victim to self-sabotage often. It’s hard to be consistent when the process feels like a chore.
There are no real grandiose gestures to demonstrate a love for yourself, but it must come from within. Slow down. Measure how far you’ve come, and figure out a way to celebrate small milestones that will excite you and motivate you to keep going.
A sense of gratitude towards your physical body, efforts, and accomplishments helps balance and rejuvenate the relationship you have with yourself. Achievement is a game that requires you to effectively deal with yourself, and self-love is the most powerful tool at your disposal for doing so.
2. Willpower
Maybe your vision of success isn’t to make a boatload of money. Maybe, deep down, you believe that losing the weight or achieving the goal you’ve set will unlock the door behind which infinite willpower is kept. You're in search of that feeling of unlimited power so that you can be someone others look up to.
Guess what? Whatever your goal is, that’s not coming when you achieve it. It doesn’t matter how remarkable your goal is. The truth is, making the right choice on a consistent basis is the mother of willpower. When you slow down, you realize that you only have the power to make the right choice today. Tomorrow will come, and you’ll have an opportunity to make that choice again. It will feel awkward at first, but with enough repetitions, you’ll find the willpower you are searching for.
3. The power to change results you aren’t happy with
Maybe you’re searching for the magic to help you get started. Maybe one or two areas of your life, like work and personal finances, are in order, but you’re sorely lacking in others.
Quite possibly the worst feeling in the world is knowing others have changed something that you can’t figure out. We’ve all felt as though we’re flawed, incapable, or have wasted a significant amount of time.
“If only I knew this when I was younger, life would have been so different!”
Achieving your goal will not make your next success easier. We like to think that some people just have it all figured out, but that’s not the case. You must be willing to embrace the suck at first and enter each arena that you’d like to improve on separately. You’ll notice patterns from previous experiences, but the skills you’ll need to achieve your goals have to be developed from scratch.
Hold this close: you’re always one decision away from making the right decision. No result will allow you to wave a magic wand and achieve something else.
Stop and smell the roses
A life with a bigger bank account, a trimmer waist line, a happier family or a greater sense of purpose are all great things. You should want to want those things. Forward thinking will help you create the vision for your life that you want.
But don’t forget to stop and smell the roses every once in awhile. Remember what’s available to you right now, in this moment.
There is more right now than you can probably imagine.