My stepmother and I never got along. But when she gave me an unexpected gift, I thought our relationship was changing. However, when I found out the truth about the gift, I had to talk to her! And who would have thought that this innocent gift would lead to a new life!
My story is about how important it is to understand each other, even if it’s someone you can’t seem to find common ground with. But before we get to the lesson, buckle up — I’ll tell you all the details of how it happened.
My stepmother’s name is Olga, and our relationship has always been tense. We are too different and have never found common ground. Our conversations always seemed strained, and we never got close. Despite this, I couldn’t deny that she made my father, Sergei, happy after my mother’s death.
His happiness always came first for me. And then, one day, something happened that changed our relationship. During one of my visits to my father and stepmother, Olga did something I didn’t expect at all. When we were alone in the house, she suddenly gave me a towel as a gift.
It was a simple gesture, but it surprised me. The towel was soft, with elegant daisy embroidery — I had always loved daisies. I accepted the gift politely, hoping that it was a step towards improving our relationship.
‘Thank you, Olga,’ I said, trying to sound sincere. ‘It’s very beautiful.’ My stepmother smiled awkwardly. ‘I thought you might like it. Just a small token of my appreciation.’ I nodded and hung the towel in the bathroom, feeling mixed emotions.
I wanted to believe that Olga was really trying to get closer to me, but deep down I remained sceptical. However, I decided not to dwell on it, because it was important to build a good relationship with the woman my father loved.
A week later, my father came to my house to fix a leaky tap. He had always been a handyman, and I appreciated his help. When he walked into the bathroom, he noticed the towel.
His expression changed dramatically from neutral to disgust! Without saying a word, he grabbed the towel, went into the kitchen, and threw it forcefully into the rubbish bin!
‘Dad, what’s going on? Why did you do that?’ I asked, stunned by his reaction. ‘Daughter, I hope you haven’t used that towel yet, because…’ He paused, searching for words.
‘Because it belonged to our old dog!’ he finally said, his voice a mixture of anger and disgust. I looked at him, trying to comprehend what he had said. “Wait, what? Our old dog? You mean Bonya, who died a few years ago?” I asked, feeling a wave of disgust.
Yes,’ my father confirmed, looking at me seriously. ‘But it was a gift from Olga!’ I exclaimed in confusion. ‘Olga probably found it when she was cleaning the attic,’ he suggested.
A shiver ran through my body, and I felt nauseous. The thought that I might have been using a towel that had been used for a dog was disgusting.
Later that day, I decided to talk to Olga. ‘Olga, why did you give me that towel?’ I asked, trying to remain calm. She sighed, looking embarrassed.
‘When I found this towel in the attic, it looked almost new,’ she began to explain. ‘I thought it would be a nice gesture to give it to you to save money and maybe try to get closer to you.’
She continued, ‘I didn’t tell your father because I didn’t want him to think I was being overly frugal again.’ I nodded, remembering how my father often complained about her thriftiness. It was a habit she had acquired growing up in poverty.
‘You know how he ALWAYS gets annoyed about my thriftiness,’ she added. It was true; I had seen Olga wear clothes until they were rags before she would buy anything new.
‘I had no idea it was Bonnie’s towel,’ she said, genuinely sorry. ‘It looked almost unused, so I figured it would be okay.’ Her voice sounded sincere, and I could see that she was truly remorseful.
‘It’s okay,’ I said, touching her arm to reassure her. ‘I appreciate that you tried to connect with me. Maybe next time we can find another way to get closer?’ I suggested with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
She smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Of course! I promise to be more careful in the future.’
This incident, although unpleasant, was a turning point for us. It helped us understand each other better, and our relationship began to improve. We started spending time together, finding common interests in shared activities.
One evening, Olga invited me over for dinner. She made all my favourite dishes: chicken in cream sauce, garlic bread, and even homemade chocolate cake. ‘Wow, Olga, this looks amazing,’ I said, touched by her efforts.
She had obviously talked to my father to find out what I liked. ‘I just wanted to do something special for you,’ she said with a shy smile. ‘After that incident with the towel, I realised that we had never really spent any time together.’
During dinner, we began sharing stories about our lives. Olga told me about her childhood and how her mother had instilled in her the value of thriftiness. She shared her dreams and the difficulties she had faced growing up.
‘I know your father disapproves of my behaviour,’ she said. ‘But it’s hard for me to break these habits; they’ve been ingrained in me since childhood.’ I nodded, understanding her point of view better. ‘I understand, Olga. We all have things from our past that shape us. It’s not easy to change.’
Our conversation flowed naturally, and for the first time, I felt like I was really getting to know Olga. She wasn’t just a stepmother, but a person with her own history and problems.
Since then, we’ve started spending even more time together. We went shopping, cooked meals, and even took short trips to neighbouring towns! Every time we spent time together, I learned something new about her, and our relationship began to change.
My father was DELIGHTED, to say the least! One sunny Saturday afternoon, we decided to do some gardening. My father wanted to create a small garden in the backyard, and Olga suggested that it would be a great way to strengthen our relationship.
We worked together, planting flowers and installing a small fountain, while chatting about everything from our favourite films to our life goals. I learned that Olga had always dreamed of travelling, but had never had the opportunity.
‘Maybe we can plan a trip together,’ I suggested, wiping the sweat from my forehead. ‘I’d like to see the Grand Canyon or even go to Europe!’ Olga’s eyes lit up with excitement.
The more time we spent together, the more I realised how similar we were. Perhaps that was why we had clashed so often in the past. We both loved nature, cooking and new discoveries. It was as if I had found a new friend in someone I had known for years!
One day at dinner, my father looked at Olga and me with a warm smile. ‘I’m so glad to see that you’ve finally found common ground,’ he said with love in his voice. ‘This is what I’ve always dreamed of.’
Olga and I exchanged knowing glances. We both knew that our relationship had come a long way since the towel incident. ‘I’m glad we finally understood each other and gave our relationship a chance,’ I said, squeezing my stepmother’s hand tightly.
