A young boy asked his mom for the last $13 she had saved for food so he could start a business. A few months later, he took her back to their tiny, old trailer and handed her the keys to their new $2 million home.
Annie Byrne, a mother from Atlanta, believed in teaching her son, Simon, the value of hard work and determination. She knew this would help him grow into a responsible person.
“Who cares if my son and I live in a rusty old trailer now? One day, he will take me to a palace and make me its queen!” Annie, a widow who worked as a janitor and struggled to get by, often dreamed of a better life.
One day, a mother’s prayers were answered in the most unbelievable way when her son handed her the keys to a $2 million house. But she didn’t know what sacrifices he made to make her dream come true.
“Mom, when will we live in a nice house?” 13-year-old Simon asked his mother. “It’s getting cold, and it’s cramped inside.”
Simon’s mom, Annie, didn’t know how to reply. She had very little savings, and her salary barely covered food and school costs for her son.
“Very soon… we’ll move very soon,” she told Simon, holding back tears. “Now close your eyes and go to sleep.”
Annie couldn’t sleep, though. She knew “soon” might never come. That night, she sat by Simon, heartbroken, thinking their struggles would never end.
The next morning, Simon’s friends asked him to play, but he didn’t go. He couldn’t be happy knowing how much his mom was struggling. While walking alone, Simon saw a boy earning money at a lemonade stand.
“Wow!” Simon thought. He wanted to start a small business, but he had almost no money. He left disappointed, but then an idea hit him. He ran home, excited.
“Mom, can I have some money?” he asked. Annie was hesitant.
“Son, I only have $13 left. That’s for food until I get paid next week,” she said.
But Simon was determined. “Mom, please trust me. Just give me the $13. I promise you won’t regret it.”
Reluctantly, Annie gave him the money, curious about what he’d do with it.
Later, Simon returned with several packets in his hands. Annie asked what they were, but he didn’t answer and grabbed a shovel. She watched in disbelief as he dug up the yard around their trailer, planting seeds from the packets.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
Simon smiled and said, “Mom, if we plant today, we’ll harvest tomorrow!”
At first, Annie didn’t understand. But over the next few weeks, Simon worked hard, watering and caring for the garden. Soon, the yard was filled with fresh herbs and plants.
Annie thought they’d use the produce for themselves, but Simon surprised her.
“Mom, we can’t eat this,” he said. “I’m selling it at a little stall I’m setting up. We’ll use the extra for ourselves.”
Simon’s fresh produce became popular. People loved his natural, chemical-free vegetables, and soon, everything he sold was gone quickly. As his business grew, Simon realized he needed more space to grow more crops. He expanded the garden and started growing fruits and flowers too.
As the money rolled in, Simon and Annie moved into a rented house. Annie even quit her janitor job to help Simon in the garden. Their stall grew, and soon the whole town knew about them.
But their success attracted the jealousy of a wealthy farmer named Alex, who couldn’t believe a young boy was doing so well. Curious, Alex visited Simon’s garden one day.
“How do you grow such healthy produce without chemicals?” Alex asked.
Simon replied, “People should eat food, not poison. We use natural methods to keep the plants safe.”
Impressed, Alex realized he had misjudged Simon. Instead of competing with him, Alex asked Simon to partner with him. Simon ran to ask his mother if he should accept the offer.
After thinking it over, Annie agreed. Simon balanced school and working on Alex’s farm while still tending to his little garden.
Their business took off. They started selling produce not just locally but even to neighboring states. Two years later, Simon saved enough money to build a new house on the same spot their trailer once stood. With Alex’s help, the house was finally built.
When Simon handed his mother the keys to their new house, Annie cried tears of joy. Her dream had come true.
“Simon, you gave up your childhood to make me happy,” she said, hugging him. “I love you.”
Simon smiled. “I can still play and have fun, but I couldn’t watch you struggle. I’ll always be your little boy!”
Though Simon was now successful, he never forgot the small garden that started it all. He kept growing the crops but never sold them again.
“We should enjoy the fruits of our hard work, Mom,” he said, laughing. “We’re going to eat this ourselves!”
Simon’s business continued to grow, and there were rumors
20 Prom Photos That Show What Graduates Looked Like When Phones Still Had Wires
Prom is an opportunity to feel like a real princess. Many girls prepare for it as if it were their wedding, choosing a special dress, makeup, and hairstyle long before the event. We think it’d be fun to see how graduates of different eras from around the world looked during their prom.
“My mom and the prom dress my grandmother made, 1965”
“Here’s my grandmother in the prom dress her mother made for her. This photo was probably taken in or around 1953.”
“My aunt and uncle at their prom, 1971 — she still looks amazing.”
“Prom 1959 to 2022: Grandma is still serving looks.”
“My parents at prom in 1992”
“Rocking into prom (1988)! I still laugh when looking at this photo.”
“My grandma, posing in her homemade prom dress in the mid-1940s”
“My mom and dad at their prom, 1986 — I will always want her dress.”
“My great-grandmother at her high school prom, I believe it was 1948.”
“My prom in 1993: the helmet hair, the sequins, the black pumps, the press-on nails”
“My grandma winning prom queen, May 1957”
“My grandmother’s senior prom photo, early 1960s”
“My grandparents at their prom (late 1940s) and on their wedding day (1950)”
“That time in 1989 when I was short and had a mullet, and my buddy took a soap star to prom.”
“My grandma, ready for prom, 1959 — she actually made that dress.”
“My mom’s prom, 1976”
“My grandparents at their senior prom in 1958 — I think they look so sharp!”
“Big hair prom, 1988 — thank gosh my hair didn’t catch on fire. It was so flammable!”
“My nana’s prom picture, circa 1942 — I inherited her lovely ginger locks.”
“My mom at her prom in 1973”
Speaking of the last century, we decided to recall what was happening back in 1989, when the Internet had just been invented
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