Lady Doubts How to Split Estate Among 4 Grandkids Until She Sees 4 Boxes With Their Names on Doorstep – Story of the Day

A woman struggles to divide her estate among her four grandkids until she sees four gift boxes with their names on her doorstep. She spots an odd detail on all the boxes that eventually leads her to a decision about her heir.

Technically, writing a will is quite simple, but the outcome for some could leave families divided. It could destroy relationships, spark grudges, and sometimes, do nothing at all.

Christine, a 69-year-old grandma, was uncertain about how to split her estate among her four grandkids, so she devised a plan. She would determine who would get what depending on how each of them would greet her on her birthday.

On the morning of her 70th birthday two days later, Christine found four gift boxes on her doorstep with her grandchildren's names on them. She was surprised, but something odd on the gift boxes drew her attention...

"What are these boxes doing here?" Christine wondered, picking them up.

"This one is from Jake...And this is from Simon. And this, Oh, from Maria. Oh my God! There's one from little Alice, too!"

Christine was never so excited before. Her grandchildren lived in different towns, so it brought more tears to her eyes knowing they remembered her birthday.

"Making it to my will was in your hands, not mine. I was just testing all of you, and only one impressed me."

But after taking a closer look, she noticed something strange about the handwriting on all the boxes—they were identical, using the same black marker.

"That's odd. I know Jake's handwriting so well. But this is not his handwriting. How is it that all the boxes have the same calligraphy?" she wondered, taking the boxes inside.

Christine impatiently unwrapped the boxes one by one to see what was inside. First, she opened Jake's gift box and was astonished.

"A locket with a timepiece? Oh my, I had always wanted to have a vintage locket like this!" she said, amazed at Jake's thoughtfulness.

The second box from Simon contained a warm Pashmina shawl she had always wanted. The third was from Maria — an electric kettle. Christine could not believe her eyes because these were some of the things she'd always longed for but never had the time to shop due to her health issues.

Finally, she unboxed Alice's gift and sat back, tearing up. Inside was a beautiful figurine of the Last Supper that Christine had wanted for a long time but could not find in stores.

"Beautiful! These are so beautiful!" she cried.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Christine decided to call each of her grandkids to thank them for the presents.

But the similar handwriting on all four boxes puzzled Christine, considering her grandkids lived in different states away from each other. She began calling them one by one to solve the mystery.

She first called her eldest grandson, 18-year-old Jake. Tears rose in her eyes when he answered her call. She anticipated he would wish her a happy birthday.

"Hello? Who is this?" said Jake.

"Darling, it's your grandma. How are you?"

"Oh, hey there, grandma. What's up?"

"Hi, Jake! I'm calling to thank you for the gift you sent today."

"A gift? I didn't send you any gifts. Why would I send you a gift today? And what's so special about today?"

Jake's response wasn't what Christine expected. Disappointed, she decided not to dwell on the call any longer and told Jake it was nothing. Then she hung up.

Next, she called her second grandson, 17-year-old Simon...

"Hello, grandma. How are you?" he answered.

"Hello there! I'm so happy to hear your voice...."

"Okay, listen, grandma. I'm in the middle of a party. Can we talk later?" he said, hanging up on Christine, who was on the verge of bursting into tears. Not only did Simon forget it was her birthday, but he also had no time to talk to her. She searched for Maria's number and called her next.

With high hopes, Christine called her third grandchild, 16-year-old Maria.

"Hello, granny! How are you?" she answered.

"I'm fine, darling. I just called to tell you I really loved your gift."

"My gift?" laughed Maria. "Grandma, are you kidding me? Why would I waste my pocket money to buy you a gift? Don't be silly. And what's so special about today that you should be getting a gift?!"

"Oh, alright! Maybe I'm mistaken, dear. Sorry for disturbing you...Talk to you later."

Christine hung up and started crying. Moments later, she remembered Alice, her youngest granddaughter.

Alice, who was just 12, lost her mother, Christine's youngest daughter when she was five. After that, she moved with her dad to their farmhouse in a different town.

Christine called Alice with a heart full of hope. And what she heard from the girl helped her decide the fate of her fortune.

"Hello, Alice?! Sweetheart, how are you doing? And did you—" But Alice interrupted her before she could even complete her sentence.

"Happy Birthday, grandma! I love you so much. I was just about to call you and greet you!"

These words were enough to melt Christine's heart. She cried on the phone, thanking Alice several times for remembering her birthday. She also realized that it was Alice who sent all the gifts on behalf of her cousins.

"Thank you, sweetheart...And I know you sent me all those gifts. Why did you do it?" she asked.

"Oh, grandma, how did you find out?!"

"The handwriting! It was the same on all four gift boxes."

"I'm sorry, but I just wanted you to have the best birthday, Grandma. I remembered you telling us about the things you wanted to get but couldn't when we visited you last Christmas. I called my cousins, but they were too busy to attend to my call. So I planned that surprise for you alone. I hope you like your gifts."

"I love them, sweetheart. Thank you!" cried Christine. "But how did you afford to get them?"

After seconds of hesitation, Alice revealed the truth, prompting Christine to call her lawyer immediately.

"I had five years' worth of savings in my piggy bank and used that to spend on your gifts."

Christine was so touched by what Alice had done for her that she called her lawyer the following day and prepared her will. She sent word about the revelation of her will to her children and grandchildren, and they came flocking to her in no time, only to be disappointed with what Christine had to say.

"I'm sorry, sweethearts! Making it to my will was in your hands, not mine. I was just testing all of you, and only one grandchild impressed me. Alice will be the heir to my estate when she turns 18!"

The news shocked Jake, Simon, and Maria, who stormed out of Christine's house. Meanwhile, Alice stayed back, hugging her grandma in tears.

What can we learn from this story?

• You reap what you sow. Among her four grandchildren, only Alice made an effort to make Christine feel special on her birthday, and her love and thoughtfulness reaped her a reward she never expected.
• Do not turn to your elders only for wealth. Love them from your heart, and you will be rewarded more than you ask for. When Jake, Simon, and Maria learned about the fate of their grandma's will, they flocked to meet her. They did not get a dime because their grandma felt they did not deserve anything due to their negligence toward her.

An older woman divides her estate between her two sons after discovering a vital part of their personalities. While the momma's boy gets a cent, the rebel bags $2 million, all for a particular reason. Click here to read the full story.

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.