Grandkids Decided to Save Our 49-Year Marriage & Spent Their Savings on Honeymoon We Never Had – Story of the Day

Erica tells the story of how she was about to end a lonely marriage with her husband of 49 years until one thoughtful gift from their grandchildren changed everything.

Every time people hear that Sean and I have been married for 50 years, there is applause in the room. But until a few months ago, my husband and I had been living a cold and lonely life behind closed doors…

I still remember the big fight we had one night when we decided to call it quits.

Just like any other night, Sean and I were sitting on opposite sides of the bed, reading. The silence in the room was heavy, and I started humming a tune mindlessly to fill it up. It was the tune of our favorite Beatles song, one with so many wild and happy memories attached to it.

My eyes were still on the book, but in my mind, I was reliving the past; the motorbike rides, the sneaking off to the movies, the stolen kisses…

Would it still feel just as thrilling to our estranged hearts? I wondered.

I was humming with all my heart, knowing he was listening, hoping he would join me and go back to being the kind of man I loved all those years ago.

I wanted him to hold me, hug me, and open his heart. But he…yelled at me.

"For God's sake, please stop that! Can't I even read in peace? 49 years of marriage, and still I'm still begging for some peace and quiet!!"

That hurt me deeply. We had had several fights until then over much bigger things. But him ruining the pure joy of our innocent little song was the last straw.

I stood up and reminded him of all the ways he had broken my heart in the last four decades. All the unresolved feelings I had been bottling up inside came bursting out. I could see the horror and pain on his face as he listened, but I just couldn't hold back anymore.

"The Sean I knew is dead. This friendship is dead. And it's killing me every minute of every day!" I said finally, my teary eyes looking into his. Sean wiped his face, pursed his trembling lips, and said: "Alright then. Let's get a divorce!"

The following day, we sat on the couch and brought our kids in on a video call."Kids, we have some difficult news. Your mom and I are getting divorced," Sean said blankly. Our eldest thought it was some kind of a joke, and the three younger ones had very confused looks on their face.

"It's really happening, guys. We know how shocking this might seem to you, and you might have 100 questions. But know that our decision is final…" I said, trying to hold myself together.

Our sons and daughters looked heartbroken, and part of me was secretly grateful that none of our grandkids were on the call. Carlton, Chelsea, Zayn, and Mila were big boys and girls now, but I couldn't bear to imagine how this news would shatter them. They worshipped us, and they had been planning a big celebration for our 50th wedding anniversary. I couldn't help but feel that we had let them down.

The following day, Sean and I were surprised to find our 20-something-year-old grandkids on our doorstep.

"Our moms and dads told us about your decision. We're sorry both of you feel this way…" Carlton said.

" I couldn't believe it at first!" Mila cried. "I mean…we've grown up knowing how you and grandpa were so romantic and strong together…"

"We may have been naive, but we still want to believe that you are meant to be together, grandma and grandpa!" Chelsea held our hands.

"And so…we have something for you…" Zayn, the youngest of them, pressed an envelope onto our palms. "This is a request to give your relationship one last shot."

Sean opened the envelope, and what was inside left us speechless. There were two flight tickets to Paris and an itinerary for a trip across Europe planned out for us…

"Grandma, grandpa, we remember you told us about that honeymoon you never got to take. It's unbelievable that in 49 years, you weren't able to take a single trip for yourselves! We could be wrong, but if there's any chance it could help you ease your burdens—"

"This is so thoughtful of you, kids! But you really shouldn't have," Sean said, misty-eyed. "It would have cost you—"

"Not at all, grandpa. We had saved every birthday allowance you had given us for all these years. We figured this is the best possible way to finally spend it…for you!"

I didn't say much because I was afraid I would burst out crying in front of the kids. I couldn't believe how big and kindhearted my little munchkins had become.

I was hesitant to take the trip, but I finally gave in to my grandkids' pleas.

"Alright, alright! We'll take that trip!"

Without ever exchanging a word, Sean and I packed and set out on that trip together. And for the first few days, we remained as distant as ever. "Let's just get this over with," I clenched my teeth and sighed.

But our grandchildren knew us too well. They called me with a new request this time.

"Grandma, please share some pictures of you and grandpa so we know you are having fun!"

How was I going to work around that? I had to take a chance. I looked over to Sean, sitting on the opposite side of the bed, reading. "Sean…would you like to take a walk?"

Sean looked into my eyes long enough for a shy smile to sprout on both our lips. He took my hand and never let it go.

Something had changed about him, and it was only later that I found out why.

"Look at this old picture the munchkins sent me. You look so beautiful; it hurts!" Sean said, showing me the goosebumps on his skin.

Suddenly, Sean and I remembered how madly we were in love once. And how much we dreamed of traveling the world, learning languages, and cuisines, living out of a suitcase, leaving a trace of us in every corner of the world…

Would it still feel just as thrilling to our estranged hearts? I wondered.

Just then, as we walked along an old bridge in a French village, Sean and I saw kids playing in the park while their young parents held hands and watched.

It was as if the past was playing in front of our eyes! Sean and I would take our boys and girls to play in the park all the time. "Fancy a strawberry sundae?" Sean startled me, asking me the same question he would ask the kids and me decades ago.

Arm-in-arm, Sean and I walked to a nearby cafe. There, we sat sipping hot coffee and then enjoying a sundae. All while letting the pain and love in our hearts finally spill out.

For the first time in years, I felt like I had my feet up, that I was breathing freely, and that I was being heard.

For the rest of the trip, our hearts only grew closer.

Sure, we started off awkward and quiet. But who can really stay sad and bitter on the vintage patio of an old cafe in an Austrian village? Or not hold hands at sunrise in Florence? In the vastness of the Swiss Alps, our troubles looked so small!

Sean and I went back to being our young, carefree selves, ready to take on the world. Life had thrown us a lot of curveballs, a lot of uncertainty, and the endless responsibilities of four children and their children…

In the desire to be good parents and grandparents, we forgot that none of it would have existed without each other. And that reminder was all we needed to become the best of companions again.

After two dreamy months, I returned, newly in love with the same old sweetheart. Sean and I thanked our grandchildren for their incredibly thoughtful gift that ended up saving our marriage.

Without them, we wouldn't be celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary this beautiful evening!

What can we learn from this story?

• Sometimes, all it takes to revive a relationship is to revive a forgotten dream. In the course of chasing our goals and fighting the fires of our lives, chasing an old dream can help us reconnect with our old selves and with the people who matter most to us.
• Be the rainbow in someone else's cloud. Erica and Sean's grandchildren decided to do something thoughtful for their troubled grandparents, and that ended up saving their marriage from ending.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about another elderly woman who lives a lonely life until she chases the old trail of a forgotten letter from her first love.

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.