Not to sound like such a mom, but you should never judge a book by its cover.
You have no idea what a person is going through, or what they've been through, and you should speak with caution — especially when making snap judgments about someone.
Matthew Stevens learned that, and I don't want to say he learned it the hard way, because Matt learned a lesson and he's passing that on.
After a series of bad dates, Matt decided to meet up with a friend to cheer himself up. He didn't know their plans but he knew drinking would be involved, so he ordered a ride through the app Lyft.
What Matt didn't expect was a mom in a massive, yellow truck to pick him up. He didn't want to be rude, but he also wasn't in the mood for idle chitchat. That was too bad because this mom, Lupe, wanted to talk, and she was able to get Matt to open up to her!
Matt felt comfortable enough to joke around with Lupe, and through some teasing, he found out she hadn't dated in 15 years. When he joked around with her about it, Lupe revealed that she hadn't dated in so long because her son is autistic.
Matt told Lupe about his relationship troubles, and that got the ball rolling on their conversation. After meeting Lupe, Matt shared the entire experience online.
Matt wrote:
Not wanting to talk only about myself, I asked her if she was dating anyone. She told me she actually hadn’t really dated anyone in 15 years. “15 years!?” – I would die; dating is so much fun. “Why 15 years? 15 years is a really long time!” I said. “15 years ago is when I had my son,” she responded. “Is he overprotective?” I joked. Her response was rather unexpected.
“Actually he is autistic, so I really haven’t had the time.” My half brother is autistic, so I began to ask her more.
"She told me she's been a single mother his whole life. Her son is her number one priority, and she has always known she won't be around forever so she has dedicated her whole life to making sure he would be okay when she is gone. She works at night as a Lyft driver so that she is able to spend her days with him. She teaches him anything and everything she can. Book smarts, street smarts, it doesn’t matter. She spoke with such pride about his To-Do lists. About how he is able to prepare his own meals and do his own laundry. She’s gained a sense of comfort knowing that he would be able to be a fully functioning, work-capable man when she's no longer here.
"She spoke with such pride and positivity that it made me emotional."
“”It’s really helped because now that I was just diagnosed with cancer and have begun chemotherapy, when I’m sick he is able to do the little things he needs to do.””
"I silently cried as I didn't want her to notice. I also did not say, "I'm sorry," as I knew she didn't need to hear that. She radiated positivity and confidence that she was going to be just fine. I don't know if I was crying for her, or if I was crying for myself. How dare I spend time being upset over something so silly that had happened to me?
"Meanwhile, Lupe was so happy and positive, being a single mother, raising an autistic son, and now battling cancer. She remained positive throughout all of the hurdles life had thrown here way."
Many are praising Matt for his kind words and the incredible gesture he put forward for Lupe.
He shared his story because he believes Lupe deserves more than the $70 he paid her for his ride that day. He wanted everyone to know that and help.
Matt started a GoFundMe for Lupe with a $10,000 goal, which was surpassed a little over a month after it was created.
If you'd like to donate to Lupe's family, you can do so here.
Don't forget to SHARE this wonderful story with all of your friends and family!
