Grandma Gives Boy a Box Saying 'Open It in Hard Times,' He Drives to Her Grave after Opening It – Story of the Day

When Chuck left for college, his grandmother gave him a box to open only when times got hard, so he saved it. He only opened it when she passed because he was having a hard time and couldn't believe what she had saved inside.

"Grandma, you don't need to give me anything else. You've given and been everything I could need," Chuck told his grandmother, Constance, who had just stopped him at the door. He was about to leave for his college in California, far away from their tiny hometown in Utah, where she had raised him.

For many years, they only had each other, and Constance gave her grandson everything she could with her job. They might not have had a lot, but they were happy, even if it was just the two of them for so long.

The kid started working at 15 at several part-time gigs to help around the house and gave his grandmother almost his entire salary. He only kept a bit to go out with his friends every once in a while. Now, he was leaving, and they didn't know when they would see each other because Chuck had to work and study simultaneously.

He never imagined what he would find inside. He didn't expect it, which only made him even more miserable.

He was already packed and ready to head to the nearest bus station for his long trip when Constance stopped him, telling him that he had something to give him.

"Here, here. You need to take this, Chuck," she said, pushing a box into his hands. It was somewhat heavy.

"Oh, Gran. This is pretty heavy. What's inside? Maybe, we can mail it," he said, worried about carrying so much already when he didn't have his own car.

"No, no. We can't mail it. It's valuable," Constance shook her head. "But, Chuck, you have to promise not to open it until it's time."

"When will it be time?" the 18-year-old wondered, raising an eyebrow.

"Open it only in hard times," Constance continued, looking at him with serious, wide eyes.

Chuck frowned and pursed his lips. But he nodded and placed the box tightly into one of his bags. "Ok, Gran. Let's go," he said, and they both walked to the bus stop.

They hugged each other, and Constance cried as her grandson got on his bus. "Remember to have some fun, Chuck!" she yelled, and he waved at her from his window seat.

Little did Chuck know that it would be the last time he ever saw her…

***

Chuck never returned to Utah, but he and Constance kept in constant communication through the years as he graduated from college and got his first job in Silicon Valley. His grandmother had been sick during his graduation ceremony, but that was alright. He knew she was there in spirit because none of it would be possible without her.

Unfortunately, two years after his graduation, he received the most dreaded phone call anyone could receive. Constance had never woken up, and Chuck's world seemed to end there and then.

***

He was haphazardly packing his things at home, crying, and throwing stuff on the floor in frustration and grief. He hated himself for not visiting her since he left. He felt guilty that she passed away alone after everything she sacrificed to raise him.

"That's life. Isn't it? Just one horrible thing after another, and then we're gone," Chuck spatted and his angry fist connected with the closet door.

Unexpectedly, something moved inside and fell loudly. With a long sigh, he opened the closet and spotted something he had not seen in years.

It was the box. His grandmother's box. Chuck started crying as he placed his hands on his face and his knees bent to the floor. His hands pulled away and reached toward the fallen box. "Well, if this isn't a hard time, then I don't know what is…" he said as he opened it.

He never imagined what he would find inside. He didn't expect it, which only made him even more miserable.

A letter inside the box read: Dear Chuck, I couldn't take my teenage grandson's money, so I saved all of it here and added a little bit. Please, use it when you need it the most, and know that raising you was the best thing I ever did. Love, Grandma.

But below, Chuck found money – close to $40,000 – which mostly came from his years of working several jobs as a kid so they could live better at home, and Constance added some herself as well. He couldn't believe it.

"This was for you."

He had earned that money so she wouldn't have to work so much. Instead, she saved and gave it back with more. However, Chuck should've expected it. His grandmother barely thought about anything except him.

The young man cried some more until the tears wouldn't fall at all. Then, he closed the box, placed it in his bag, and took off. It was time to drive back to Utah.

***

The funeral went as expected. Most attendees were good friends of Constance from their neighborhood and some townsfolk who wanted to pay their respects. She was buried as she wished to, and when everyone left, Chuck took the box out of the trunk of his car and went to sit by her tombstone.

"You shouldn't have saved this. This was for you, for everything you did for me. You deserved a treat," he wailed, hitting the grass as he looked at the money in the box. "This was for you."

He repeated those words many times during the hours he spent there. When he calmed down somewhat, he came to a decision.

"I'm going to do something great with this, and I bet you would've loved it, Gran," Chuck promised and left. It was dark already, but the stars illuminated the area, so the cemetery wasn't really scary.

Grandma Constance already dreamed of having her vegetable garden right at home, but she never got around to doing it because that takes a lot of work. She didn't have time for that, but Chuck decided he did. He quit his job in California and moved permanently back.

He arranged the garden, fixed up her house, and settled in his hometown once again, eventually opening his own firm and meeting the love of his life. The vegetable garden flourished because Chuck's wife loved it too, and his family always had the freshest ingredients for their meals, just like Gran would've wanted.

What can we learn from this story?

• Honor your grandparents and parents for the sacrifices they made to raise you. Good grandparents and parents deserve to be honored somehow, and Chuck knew precisely what to do to ensure that Constance's memory lived on.
• Spend more time with your loved ones because tomorrow is not guaranteed. Chuck hated himself for not visiting Constance after leaving for college and would never get that time back.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about an older woman who gave her grandson an old toolbox, and he opened it when she passed.

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.