After our kids accused us of wasting their inheritance, we were shocked. Instead of getting upset, we taught them key life and money lessons.
My husband, Tom, and I have always valued a simple, meaningful life. In our senior years, we intended to enjoy the results of our hard work and savings. Our doctor suggested a short vacation out of state. Our getaway was much-needed. Visiting a cozy, affordable seaside hotel was my intention.
I was excited to tell Emma and Jake about the bookings when they were confirmed. I anticipated them to be excited and maybe even envy of our adventure. I was stunned by their response.
Emma and Jake saw a photo of our cozy hotel. Emma looked at it and sighed.
“You know, you should think about us too,” said. “Your money is our heritage and yours. We’ll have nothing once you die if you squander it all now.”
Jake nodded assent. “Do you need that vacation? Your age group should remain home and chill. Why are you continuously spending and doing? Occasionally, I fear we’ll be eliminated.”
Tom gripped my hand and shrugged as tears fell. I knew he had a plan then.
Tom and I discussed what happened later that night. Tom was calm and thoughtful despite the kids’ words hurting me.
“They think our money is already theirs,” he remarked. “We need to teach them a lesson.”
We planned. Instead of debating, we showed them we could utilize our money as we pleased. We informed Emma and Jake that we would contribute most of our savings to charities we cared about in letters. We intended to improve the planet rather than save money.
Before leaving for our trip, we sent the letters. Jake called me angry the day we got at the motel.
Jake called me angry the day we got at the motel.
He shouted “What are you thinking?” Giving our inheritance? This is absurd!”
I breathed deeply and said calmly, “Jake, it’s our money, not ‘your’ inheritance. We earned it and can spend it as we like. We wish to live well and serve others. Emma and you have careers and savings. You’re okay.”
Jake paused, then asked, “But you’re just giving it all away?”
“Not all of it,” I said. We’re still meeting our needs. We want to matter while we’re living, not merely leave money. That includes this vacation. We deserve to have fun too.”
Jake said he needed to talk to Emma and hung up. I glanced at Tom, listening on speakerphone.
“You handled that well,” he replied, beaming.
Some days later, Emma called. She sounded calmer but upset.
I got your letter, Mom and Dad. Don’t understand. Why now? Why give so much?”
I said, “Emma, we’ve always worked hard. Enjoying our time and helping others are our goals. We’re not leaving you with nothing; we’re just living our best lives and supporting our causes.”
Emma sighed. “I get that, but it just feels like you’re taking away our future security.”
Tom rushed in, “Emma, Jake and you are doing fine. Work and savings are yours. We’re not stealing your future. Taking use of the present. We’re spending some of it to enjoy life and help others.”
A minute of silence from Emma. Maybe I see your point. This surprised me.”
“We understand,” I answered. We were surprised to hear you talk about our money like it was yours. We wanted to demonstrate that we can utilize it as we choose.”
Even if she didn’t agree, Emma seemed to change after additional discourse. My shoulders felt lighter once we hung up.
Tom and I felt more relaxed after talking to Emma and Jake and enjoyed the rest of our trip. We relaxed on the beach, saw local landmarks, and enjoyed our time together. Reclaiming our life and choices felt amazing.
Emma and Jake surprised us a week after we came home. They seemed anxious but determined.
“Mom, Dad, can we talk?” Emma asked as they settled into the living room.
“Of course,” Tom answered, inviting them to seat.
Emma began, “We’ve contemplated your words. We now understand we were mistaken to presume we had your money. “We worry about you.”
Jake nods. “Yeah, we just want to make sure you’re okay and that you’re not making rash decisions.”
Tom grinned. “We understand your concern, but we’ve considered this. Our spending isn’t reckless. Our lives are full with joy and service. That matters to us.”
I said, “We love you both and aren’t punishing you. Please understand our perspective. We should live fully and do good in the world, not simply for money.”
Emma sighed. “Now we know. It’s hard to let go of inheritance.”
Jake concurred, “We understand your perspective. We’re sorry for our response.”
Tom and I looked relieved. “Thank you for understanding,” I add. “We’re glad we could talk this through.”
The evening ended with lighter talk, and we felt closer and more connected. It was hard to teach our kids this lesson, but it drew us closer together.
Week by week, things returned to normal. Emma and Jake had occasional inquiries, but they appeared to understand our perspective better. Small excursions and charitable work kept us happy in retirement.
One charity we gave to sent us a letter. They congratulated us for our wonderful donation and described how it was building a new community center. Knowing our money was helping was very rewarding.
I gave Emma and Jake the letter at our next family supper. With each syllable, Emma softened her voice as she read. She looked up with tears after finishing.
Mom, Dad, this is great. Sorry I didn’t understand then. She stated she now understood why you cared.
Jake nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, it’s pretty incredible to see how much good you’re doing.”
Tom grinned, “Appreciate your perspective. For us, life has always been about helping others as well as ourselves.”
As I gazed around the table at my family that night, I felt peaceful. Our kids acquired valuable life and money lessons. Tom and I vowed to live fully.
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Inspired by true events and people, this work is fictionalized for creativity. To preserve privacy and enrich the story, names, characters, and facts were changed. Any resemblance to real people, events, or places is unintentional.
The author and publisher neither guarantee event authenticity nor character characterization and are not liable for misinterpretation. While this work is presented “as is,” the characters’ viewpoints do not reflect those of the author or publisher.
