It always makes us feel good when we realize we are loved by someone close to us. We may realize that they have affection for us but when they show it in a very special way, it hits us close to the heart.
Sometimes, we may even get a surprise that we could never expect by simply being at the right place at the right time. We may have spent years developing a relationship with someone and when it finally pays off, it will pay off in the warmest way.
That was what happened to the woman in this story. She may have thought she was losing when they read her mother’s will, but she ended up winning in a way she never expected.
Gabby, a young woman, sat in the lawyer’s office with her three siblings, Maya, Tasmin, and Robert. They were about to hear their late mother’s final wish as her will was read.
Before them were envelopes. Gabby’s siblings opened theirs to find a one-dollar bill inside. Confusion filled the room. Gabby, however, held an envelope that felt different. Inside was a folded letter.
Maya snatched the letter from Gabby’s hand and blurted out, “What the hell, Gabby?” The lawyer gasped in surprise.
The letter revealed that their mother had left everything to Gabby. The house, the savings account, all of it. Why? Because Gabby was the only one who truly cared.
Gabby never sought to be the favorite. She simply felt it was her duty to be there for her mom in her time of need, without any expectations of a payout.
Maya had her own family, Tasmin was always busy with work, and Robert seldom made time for the family. Their mother’s decision to leave everything to Gabby was a way of saying thank you for her love and dedication. The dollar bills her siblings received were a reminder of the time they hadn’t given their mom while she was still alive.
The letter burned in Gabby’s hands. “I didn’t ask for this,” she said. “Listen! I need you to understand me.”
But her siblings were furious and ignored her pleas.
In an effort to make things right, Gabby suggested, “Let’s split Mom’s savings equally. Not for luxury or wasteful spending, but as a safety net for each of us.”
Her siblings agreed. They went to the bank together and took care of everything.
Gabby wrote that she believed her mom’s lesson wasn’t about who cared the most, but rather about understanding her feelings in her final moments.
Through this experience, the four siblings learned an invaluable lesson – family should always come first. They decided to have monthly gatherings and remained close.
