Old Man Sells His Property to Pay For Grandson’s Treatment, Gets His House Back Later – Story of the Day

An old man who hasn't seen his children in years sells his house to give his only grandson the money for the treatment he needs and becomes homeless.

What would any of us do for a beloved child or grandchild? Anything, anything at all. We'd give the blood from our veins, our hearts, and souls.

Peter Cromp gave up his home. Of course, no one ever imagined Peter would be that kind of man. He was short-tempered, harsh, and unpleasant and he was always bickering with someone or other.

As far as anyone knew, Peter's children hadn't contacted him since his wife, Emily, died, twenty years before. His son Jordan and his daughter Tessa had adored their mother. She was the one who'd kept the peace in the family.

Only a year after Emily's death, Peter was estranged from his children. He couldn't remember what the quarrel had been about, but the end of it was loud and ugly. Jordan and his sister had stormed out and vowed never to return. Peter's parting shot had been, "Good riddance!"

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to teach us the value of family.

The truth is that Peter was a lonely, unhappy man. He missed his children, but he was too proud to reach out to them. He heard from a neighbor that James had moved to France and that Tessa was married.

It hurt him that strangers knew more about his children than he did, but he refused to admit that he was in the wrong. "They'll come back sooner or later!" he told himself.

Then three years later, something unexpected happened. Peter received a call from Child Services asking him if he was willing to take custody of his grandson, Peter Jr.

Child Services explained that Tessa had died, and her son little Peter had been put up for adoption, but that blood relatives were offered the opportunity to take the child. For Peter, there was really no option. There was no way he would allow his blood to be given to strangers!

So Peter became the three-year-old Petey's guardian. It wasn't easy, Peter had not been a hands-on father, and he didn't quite know how to be a parent. Sweet, patient Emily had done all the parenting in their house. Now Peter had to step up to the plate, and he quickly fell in love with his grandson.

Petey was a lot like Emily. He was a serious little boy, with a sweet, shy nature. Peter found himself going to parent-teacher meetings, playdates, and birthday parties.

His loud, harsh voice softened, and when he spoke to Petey, a loving smile transformed his face. The neighbors couldn't believe it! Quarrelsome Pete was now a doting grandpa!

Time sped by fast, and before he knew it, little Petey was in high school. He was a brilliant student and a star quarterback. Peter was proud of him as he'd never been of his own children.

One day, tragedy struck. Petey was injured during a football game, and the doctors told Peter that unless he had a series of complex surgeries, he'd be crippled for life.

Peter didn't hesitate. He placed his home on the market and used the money to pay for Petey's surgery and recovery. He left the hospital and walked to the cemetery.

He knelt by Emily's grave and whispered, "My dearest, I had to sell our home. Our boy Petey needed that surgery. He's going to college next year, he had a scholarship, so he'll be OK.

"I don't know what I'm going to do, Emily. I'm old and homeless. I wish I could die and be with you. I don't want to be alone..."

Peter was sobbing when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw his son James!

"Dad," James said tenderly. "You're not alone, and you're not homeless."

James showed Peter the deed for his house. He had bought the house, and now he was giving it back to his father!

"I've just come back to the States, dad," James explained. "I didn't know Tessa had passed away, or that she had a little boy. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you, dad."

"No, James," Peter said with tears in his eyes. "I'm the one who wasn't here for you when you were growing up. I failed you and Tessa, son. It was Petey who taught me to be a dad."

James and Peter hugged, and from that day on started a new chapter in their lives. James moved in with Peter, and when Petey left the hospital, he came back to his childhood home.

What can we learn from this story?

• Sometimes it takes a tragedy to teach us the value of family. Peter only realized that he loved and needed his children when he lost them.
• It's never too late to make amends. Peter apologized to James and finally had the chance to be a loving, supportive father.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a young boy who wants to be a champion and learns the true meaning of honor and victory from his seriously ill grandfather.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.