Grandpa Sells Farm to Buy Gift for Grandson’s Wedding Although They're Estranged — Story of the Day

Anderson, a loving grandfather, goes out of his way and sells his treasured farm to buy a wedding gift for his estranged grandson, Matt. When Matt unwraps the gift box two years later, he drops to his knees in tears and hurries to his late grandpa's grave, begging for his forgiveness.

Anderson waited outside the pub, his teary eyes glowing under the bright serial lights. It ripped his heart apart that he was not invited to his grandson Matt's bachelor party.

"And there goes my last night of freedom. CHEERS, guys!!!" Matt toasted with his friends and walked out with his drink to answer his phone. He did not expect to see his grandpa Anderson at the entrance, and this spoiled his party mood.

He screamed: "You? What are you doing here? Damn...security! What's this old man doing here? Escort him out!"

Two men approached Anderson and forced him out, leaving him disappointed out on the street...

The 74-year-old was hurt inside out as he wandered across the street. He gasped, "Walk on, Andy. Grace's house is just nearby. She will forgive you. It's been twenty-four years since..."

Grace was Anderson's only daughter, who used to call him 'dad' 24 years ago, until the day when she yelled at him: "Get out, dad, and please don't come to see me again! Your face disgusts me! ...Please stay away from my baby and me!" Those were the last words he heard from her.

"My farm is not just earth and stone. It's a piece of me. I sold it to afford your dream, my dear grandson."

Not that Anderson gave up and never begged for Grace's forgiveness. But whenever she saw him on her doorstep, she would slam the door in his face and keep cursing him until he walked away, crying and heartbroken.

Anderson knew what would happen if he went to his estranged daughter's house again. He was determined to visit her to calm the storm in their relationship, but it was not that easy.

Grace was infuriated whenever she saw her father at her doorstep. She yelled: "Why have you come again? Look, I don't want you to come here! My son is getting married tomorrow, and I don't want you to be around. You are not a part of our lives, and my son hates you!"

Anderson wanted to cry. His heart felt like popping out.

"My dear, I want to be a part of my grandson's wedding. It's his special day, and I want to see him get married. It's my right as his grandfather...Please allow me to attend his big day, dear," Anderson cried, folding his hands in request.

But Grace was so angry with him and slammed the door in his face. "Get out and never come back! I don't want to see your face again! Go away!" she shouted. Anderson walked away, looking back at Grace's house one last time.

Little did Grace know that she would never get to see her beloved dad again.

Matt was the happiest the next day. It was his much-awaited wedding day. He was looking forward to marrying his longtime girlfriend, Madison, and he looked as charming as ever in his charcoal grey suit. As Grace pinned a brooch on his blazer, she worried that her dad would show up unexpectedly and ruin their happiness.

She checked around outside to ensure Anderson hadn't come. "Good gracious, he's not here," she sighed and left with her son for the church. Throughout the event, Grace was restless. She didn't want her father to attend and spoil the ceremony. Fortunately for Grace, he never showed up.

The newlyweds returned to the groom's house when the wedding was finally over. Matt was busy unwrapping all his presents that evening when a gift box drew his attention. A note on it read: "Happy married life, my dear. With Love, Grandpa Andy."

Matt was furious, and he told his mom about it. "Throw that thing away," she said. Matt threw the gift, and it landed on a bookshelf. "I'm sure he must have sent it through someone. Who needs his gift when we don't need him in the first place?"

Grace and Matt forgot about the gift in the next two years. Anderson's presence and love for them didn't matter to them. He was just a constant reminder of what he did to Grace 24 years ago, which annoyed her more whenever she thought about it.

Matt, however, did not know the bigger picture of what had happened between his mom and grandpa. He blindly believed his mother whenever she filled his ears with negative words about his grandpa.

"Your grandpa was not a good man. Please stay away from him. He doesn't deserve us. He hates me so much that he never came to my wedding, son," she often told Matt. But she never disclosed the complete truth to her son about why her dad didn't attend her wedding 24 years ago.

Matt grew up all his life in a web of lies about his grandpa until one day when he and his mother visited his home on the evening after his funeral and were surprised by what they saw.

"Mom, you told me grandpa lived in his farmhouse on his farm. But this shack looks so small and poorly furnished. Why would he live here when he had that bigger house?" Matt asked Grace. She was confused too.

They looked around Anderson's tiny hut and found pictures of Matt from different timelines. It turned out that Anderson had snapped these photos without Matt's knowledge. "Oh my God! That picture is from when I graduated. Grandpa was there too, and I didn't know!"

As Matt kept looking, he found an old diary. He dusted it and started to read. His eyes gave way to the tears that began to flow, and his face was flushing red in anger when he stormed to his mother and asked her: "Mom, answer me...is this true? Was this why grandpa never came to your wedding?"

Grace quickly read portions of the diary and decided she couldn't keep lying anymore...

She confessed: "Son, I was madly in love with your father, and your grandpa kept trying to convince me to change my mind and leave your father. He believed your dad was a liar. I invited your grandpa to my wedding, but he refused to attend. I was ashamed when there was nobody to walk me down the aisle. Last minute, my best friend's father offered to do it for me. I felt so let down and hurt by my own father. I couldn't forgive your grandpa, and I started hating him."

Also, it turned out that Anderson's predictions about his son-in-law were true. The guy was indeed a cheater. He had dumped Grace when she revealed her pregnancy. He had married her for her money, and when he learned Anderson had cut Grace from his life, he left her and never returned.

"I could not come to terms with the truth. Your grandpa tried to help me, but I was still hurt by what he did. I felt cornered from all sides and cut him off from my life the way he did to me. I was afraid he would mock me for being cheated on and tell me to my face that he was right," Grace cried.

Matt burst into tears and remembered the late Anderson's gift for his wedding. He stormed out to find it, only to be filled with even more regret after discovering what it was.

"Oh my God, grandpa...I'm sorry I did this to you." Matt wept as he unwrapped the dusty gift box and found a note inside, along with some documents and a bunch of keys.

"My grandson, I wish you a happy married life for many years to come. May you live your dreams and work hard to achieve them. I know you have always dreamed of opening a restaurant. So, here's the key and documents to a new building I bought for you. Cheers, my dear. And good luck with your new business. With Love, Grandpa Andy."

It turned out that Anderson had sold his treasured farm to purchase a luxe building for Matt so that he could open his restaurant there.

Matt fell to his knees and cried. Anderson mentioned in his diary that this farm was his most-priced possession. Matt recalled reading: "My farm brought me out of my grief. It motivated me to work hard and raise my daughter after my wife died during childbirth. My farm is not just earth and stone. It's a piece of me. I sold it to afford your dream, my dear grandson."

A few months later, Matt opened a luxe restaurant and named it after his late grandpa Anderson. He would visit his grandpa's resting place every day after work with his favorite white flowers.

The fact that he only got to know his late grandpa through an old diary tormented him. Matt and his mother regretted taking Anderson for granted. They hoped and prayed for his forgiveness, but they knew it was too late.

What can we learn from this story?

• Life is too short to fight over a shady past. Forgive when you can. Grace never forgave Anderson for not attending her wedding. He sought her forgiveness for decades, but she never accepted his apology until his death.
• Love and honor your loved ones while they are still alive. Grace and Matt resented Anderson and never gave him a chance to be a part of their lives. They regretted their mistake and learned his value only after his death.

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A teen girl goes against everyone's warnings to care for her grandfather, only to be kicked out by him at 18. Click here to read the full story.

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