Below are three real-life inheritance stories that speak of the importance of the legacy those who pass away leave behind. This legacy isn’t always material, sometimes it comes with lessons we never forget.
1. I inherited Grandma’s old clocks while my greedy brother took the house
My grandmother Marlene and I always shared a strong bond. She was the only person who supported me unconditionally and was always there when I needed her.
When she became really old and couldn’t take care of herself, I was there to help her around the house, which was the coziest place on earth. The rooms filled with vintage clocks gave the place unusual warmth and brought a sense of nostalgia.
However, when I went to college this year, my grandma was all by herself. My brother Brian was in town but he rarely visited her, always finding excuses.
One evening, I got a call from my grandma and the moment I heard her voice, my heart sank. She didn’t sound like her usual self. Telling me that she hadn’t have much time left, she asked me to visit her the following day.
I promised to be there as soon as possible, and a few days later, I found myself driving back home. When I knocked on my grandma’s door, my brother answered. He wasn’t happy to be there because he had always hated the house.
Knowing her time on Earth was coming to an end, she handed both of us an envelope with $5,000 inside. I was very appreciative of her gesture, hugged her, and thanked her for everything she had ever done for me. Brian on the other hand got angry. His face became even more serious that before. He accepted the cash unwillingly because he believed it wasn’t much money. He expected grandma to give him everything she had been saving throughout the years. He didn’t even say “thank you” before he stormed out of the house.
My grandma passed away peacefully in her sleep some days later. I spent the last days of her life by her side, reminding her how much I loved her and how much she meant to me.
At the will reading, Brian was given the house, and I received her clocks. Initially, I felt a pang of disappointment, but then the lawyer handed me a note from Grandma. She wrote that those clocks were worth a little fortune, over $200,000.
Her last gift was another reminder of her wisdom and love.
2. The heart of the home: A legacy in wood
When their grandfather Joe died, Mia, Daniel, and Sara were given his old workshop.
They knew how much that place meant to him because he would spend his days there working on different projects, but they weren’t really happy with what they received. That shop was filled with a bunch of tools, dusty projects, and unfinished plans for various pieces of furniture.
Their grandpa, however, called it “the heart of the home,” so they believed he left it to them because he loved them more than the rest of the members of the family.
However, the inheritance came with a condition. They were given three months in order to start and finish a project of their own liking.
Daniel was the only one who was fond of the idea because he was good at DIY projects and knew how to use his grandpa’s tools. Mia said she could only help with the creative part, while Sara wasn’t willing to go to the workshop at all. But since she knew it was what her grandpa loved, she agreed to get involved in the process of handcrafting a wooden rocking chair.
At the beginning, the three didn’t get along, but as days went by, they spent plenty of time together and were able to bond. Each day was more fun than the previous. They laughed together, shared their secrets, and had a lot of fun.
When the three months passed, their grandpa’s lawyer came to inspect their work. That rocking chair was a tribute to the old man who managed to keep his grandchildren close to one another even after his passing.
At that moment, the lawyer handed each of them an envelope containing $30,000 cash each.
Mia, Daniel, and Sara continued creating wooden items. It was their escape from their busy lives in the city.
Back in 1992, college student Cara Wood, who was 17 at the time, lived off campus in Ohio and drove a used Jeep. In order to pay for her education, she landed a job as a waitress in her home town of Chargin Falls, near Cleveland.
A customer, Bill Cruxton, who was a widower with no children, would visit the restaurant every single day. He was there not only for the food but because he needed company and someone to chat to. Over time, he and Cara bonded and she even ran errands for him in her free time.
Apparently, she reminded him of his late wife, Gertrude. He often told her that if he had grandchildren, they would have looked exactly like Cara.
At the time he met Cara, Bill intended to leave his fortune of over half-a-million dollars to another waitress, but because of reasons unknown, he changed the beneficiary and Cara was the sole beneficiary. Rumors were that Bill wasn’t fond of the previous waitress’s boyfriend, but some said that the two simply lost touch when she quit her job.
In November of 1992, Bill suffered a massive heart attack and passed away. At the time of his passing, he had a photo of Cara in her soccer uniform by his bedside.
His death meant Cara would inherit all his money and belongings.
At the time, she said she was lucky. She didn’t spend any of the money, but she did turn to the stock market and made a lot more. At the time, she said she was making enough money to live off the earning of the money she had invested in the stock market.
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