A struggling nurse named Cassandra decided to help her four elderly neighbors when she noticed they only had each other to depend on for everyday tasks. After one of the neighbors passed away, Cassandra found out about the will they had left behind.
Cassandra Myers was a nurse who didn’t have much money. Even though nurses usually earn a decent salary in America, most of her paycheck went to paying off her deceased parents’ debts, leaving her with just enough to survive.
She lived in her family’s old house, which was located in a peaceful neighborhood. Next to her lived four elderly siblings who were all in their 80s.
Cassandra often noticed how the siblings struggled with their daily tasks. As they got older, they had to manage carrying groceries, cleaning their home and yard, taking out the trash, and cooking for themselves each day.
Seeing that they could use some assistance, Cassandra decided to help them whenever she returned from her shifts at the hospital. The four sisters were really grateful and loved spending time with her.
“You’re like an angel, Cassandra,” Marie, the oldest sister, once said. “Can we at least pay you for your help?” she asked.
Cassandra smiled and shook her head. “No way, Marie! I won’t let you pay me! I help you because I care, not for money. Seriously, don’t worry about it,” she answered.
Every day, Cassandra cooked their meals and cleaned up the dishes afterward. She also helped each sister with their medicine and got them dressed.
One evening, while they were enjoying dinner together, Cassandra asked, “Why didn’t you ever consider moving to a nursing home? They could probably take better care of you than I can.”
Clara, one of the sisters, replied that they didn’t trust nursing homes. “We wanted to stay together for the rest of our lives. If we went to a nursing home, we wouldn’t be able to share a room, and we’d have to be around so many strangers,” she explained.
Mindy, the youngest sister, added, “We prefer to be surrounded by real love and care. You never know what other people might be like.”
Cassandra nodded, understanding their feelings. “Well,” she said, “you don’t need to worry. As long as I can help, I’m here for you,” she smiled. “That’s what neighbors do!”
“You’re the best neighbor anyone could wish for,” Lisa, the second-eldest sister, said, reaching out to hold her hand.
Even though Cassandra was often exhausted after her shifts at the hospital, she always made time to visit the sisters. They would share a meal, and she would help with whatever they needed before heading home to rest.
Sadly, as time went on, the inevitable happened. One by one, the sisters passed away, and Cassandra found herself organizing their funerals and grieving their loss.
When the last sister died, she cleaned up their home and attended the final funeral, which had no guests except for a lawyer who introduced herself as Attorney Abigail Smith.
“You must be Cassandra,” Abigail said. “Thank you for caring for the sisters all these years. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you.”
Cassandra gave her a tearful smile. “They were a delight to be with. I will miss all of them dearly.”
Cassandra was told by her lawyer that she needed to come to the office that week because there was something important to talk about. Even though she felt a bit puzzled, she agreed to go the next day.
When she arrived, the lawyer handed her a paper. “Lisa, Clara, Mindy, and Marie all had kids. I know you’ve never met them since they didn’t come to any of the funerals, but they live in nearby states. When the sisters realized their children didn’t care much about them, they decided to change their will,” the lawyer explained.
“They left everything to you,” Attorney Abigail said. “In this document, you’ll see all the things you’re inheriting from them, like money, jewelry, and their house.”
Cassandra was stunned. She couldn’t believe that her neighbors had given her everything, even though they had kids. “This can’t be true! I don’t deserve all this,” she exclaimed, feeling overwhelmed.
Attorney Abigail replied, “You do deserve it, Cassandra. You were more like a daughter to them than their own kids. They saw you as the one who should inherit their wealth,” she reassured her.
Cassandra was at a loss for words. She felt shaky as she looked at the document that clearly stated she was the one to receive the fortune from the four sisters. She wasn’t sure what to do with all that money, but she quickly realized it could help pay off her late parents’ debts.
A few days later, the children of the four sisters started calling Attorney Abigail for the will reading. When she told them that the will didn’t include them, they all wanted to fight it in court.
But before they could take action, Attorney Abigail informed them that each child would receive a letter in the mail from their mothers. Each letter had the same message:
“My dear child,
You might be curious about why I didn’t leave you anything. I want you to know that I love you very much and I’m glad you’ve started a new life in another state. I’m really proud of everything you’ve achieved, but I always hoped you would take a break from your busy life to come visit me and spend time with me during my last days.
It really hurt me that you didn’t seem to care about me after you moved away. I wished you would come to see me during the holidays, but that never happened. So, I decided to give my fortune to someone who was there for me when you weren’t.
I hope you can understand why I made this choice. I know you can manage without my estate, just like you’ve been living without me for all these years. Love, mom.
The siblings got the letters on the same day. They chatted in a group and decided to drop the lawsuit. They realized how poorly they had treated their moms and that they didn’t deserve to inherit anything.
Cassandra had never met any of the sisters’ kids, but every year on the anniversaries of their deaths, she noticed beautiful fresh flowers on their graves. This made her happy, knowing that the sisters’ children finally chose to honor their mothers in the best way they could.
What can we learn from this story?
When you have the chance to lend a hand to someone, take it. Cassandra was always there for her older neighbors, helping them out without wanting anything back. Eventually, her neighbors thought she should inherit their estate because they saw how much she cared for them, even more than their own kids did.
Make sure to cherish your time with family before it’s gone. When the sisters passed away, their kids realized how much time they had wasted ignoring their mothers. They felt sorry for not spending more moments with them while they were alive and ended up placing flowers on their graves every year, wishing they could change what had happened.