The prom is an important rite of passage for American teens.
While it’s technically “just a dance,” this event gives teenagers a chance to dress up in formal attire and get a taste of adulthood for one brief, glimmering evening. Most boys agonize over who to ask as their date, but for 18-year-old Joe Moreno of Corpus Christi, Texas, the choice was clear. He invited his mom.
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When Vanessa Moreno was 17, attending her own prom was the last thing on her mind. She’d gotten pregnant with Joe, which prompted her to drop out of school to focus on raising him the best she could. Joe has never forgotten the sacrifices his mother made for him at such a young age, and he’s been waiting to repay her for missing that big night since he learned what “prom” meant.
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“It’s something that I’ve been planning on doing ever since I found out what prom was,” Joe said. “I have always told my mom about wanting to take her to my high school prom. She was really emotional … and really excited for the day to come. She always loved the idea.”
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“Senior year came up and he brought up prom and I kept asking who he was taking, and he kept reassuring that it was me,” Vanessa said.
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On Friday night, Joe made good on that promise, even giving his mother the traditional flower corsage and picking her up, just as a real date would. With permission from administrators, the mother-son duo attended Collegiate High School’s prom.
According to Joe, they had a blast and danced the night away.
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Later, Joe shared the experience on his Twitter page, where it went viral so quickly that he and his mother were shocked.
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“I was really glad I was able to create such a memory with my mom,” he said afterward. Twitter users immediately fell in love with this beautiful family and applauded Joe.
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What a thoughtful young man. It seems like all of Vanessa’s sacrifices were very worthwhile – she has raised a wonderful person!
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