When people get old, some families struggle with the demand of eldercare while others remain dedicated to supporting and providing for their elderly relatives.
Paul and Rachel, a brother and sister, got into an argument over their elderly grandmother Eleanor.
The old lady spent her days painting, and according to Paul, she became a burden because she didn’t contribute to the finances of the family. Hearing Paul’s words, Rachel was shocked. “Paul, she’s our grandmother. She raised us, remember?” she said. But Paul was determined to kick his grandma out of his home. “That was then. Things are different now,” he said, crossing his arms. “She doesn’t bring anything to the table anymore. She just sits there, painting and wasting time.”
“Those paintings mean something to her,” Rachel said. “And they could mean something to us if we let them.”
“Sentimental nonsense. I need to think about the future, Rachel. We can’t afford dead weight.”
Realizing he was no longer planning to take care of their grandma, Rachel found herself wondering what life would bring for the elderly lady. It was then that Paul suggested Rachel taking grandma Eleanor in. “She can stay with you,” he said bluntly. “You seem to care so much.”
Rachel agreed. There was no way that she would leave her grandma without a roof over her head, although her brother’s demand left her with a bitter taste in her mouth.
Grandma Eleanor got the spare room in Rachel’s house. It became a nice place that felt cozy and felt like home. She could paint there, with the help of Rachel’s children who adored her and loved listening to her stories.
“Thank you, Rachel. You’ve always had a kind heart.”
“Grandma, you don’t need to thank me. This is your home too,” Rachel said, hugging her tightly.
As time passed by and Eleanor made a number of beautiful painting, Rachel’s children made her post them on the social media.
To Eleanor’s surprise, her work attracted plenty of attention, and one day, she received an invitation by the local gallery to exhibit her paintings.
The weeks leading up to Eleanor’s solo exhibition were a flurry of activity. She worked tirelessly because she not only painted, but wrote the stories behind each of her paintings.
On the big night, the gallery was filled with people and almost every painting was sold. Rachel even received several commissions, securing her financial independence.
“Thank you all for believing in me,” the sweet grandma told the crowd, tears of joy streaming down her face.
When the word of her success reached Paul, he suddenly showed at Rachel’s door. When she opened it, the first thing he said was that he was sorry for kicking their grandma out of his house. “I made a mistake,” he kept repeating while looking down. “I shouldn’t have kicked her out, I see that now.”
“It’s a little late for that, Paul,” Rachel told him. “You showed your true colors when you turned your back on family.”
Speaking to his grandma, Paul said he wanted to make things right. “No, Paul. You only want to make things right because you see my success now. Where was this concern when I needed a home, when all I had was my art and my memories?” Eleanor said.
“I was wrong,” Paul said with a breaking voice. “I see that now. I’ve lost so much because of my actions.”
“You lost our respect,” Eleanor added. “And that’s something you can’t buy back with apologies or money. Family is about love and support, not about what you can get from them.”
Realizing that his apologies weren’t enough to rebuild the bridges he had ruined, Paul turned around and left.
Eleanor then turned to her granddaughter and told her that she was thankful for everything she had done for her. But it was Rachel who was grateful because her grandma taught her to cherish the people who truly matter.
Eleanor’s career as a painter blossomed. People loved her work and she sold plenty of paintings. As of Paul, he only witnessed his grandma’s success from afar. Hopefully, he learned a valuable life lesson.