After a man passed away, the will he left behind pitted his two girls against each other as one received the house they grew up in while the other got a dirty dish. 

John was a proud father of two daughters, Helen and Julia. They were the apple of his eyes, but because Julia looked more like his late wife, he tended to take her side more. 

When Julia was born, Helen was already a teenager. In truth, John and his wife had nearly given up hope of welcoming a child when Julia came along. It made them treat her even more special. 

They got her the best of everything and showered love and attention on her, making Helen, the older one who had formerly been the only recipient of all their affections, feel very neglected. 

When she clocked 18, her mother passed away, leaving John to carry all the burden of taking care of the girls. It was a challenging task, and eventually………….

he ordered Helen to work as a dishwasher so there would be more income for them to live on. 

Helen initially hated it and challenged her father on her need to do it. “Why do I have to do that? I don’t see other kids doing that, they’re all going to college,” Helen told her father one day. 

“You’re 18 now Helen, you have grown and you need to learn how to be useful to other people now,” he told her. 

“You mean you and Julia,” Helen said before she walked away from him that day. 

They faced off like that two more times before Helen finally agreed to go to work. Her agreement was binding, which did not do anything to calm her jealousy towards Julia. 

Helen saw Julia as a spoiled child, and it created a wedge between the two girls. They butted heads all the time because of Julia’s unwillingness to work, and it only got worse as they grew older. 

As a teenager, Julia only wanted to party all the time while Helen got used to working to support the family. She worked a few months as a dishwasher before getting hired as a kitchen assistant and then as a cook. 

During the years she worked, Helen gave up her jealousy of Julia. She’d wanted a chance to also party and live life like her sister but growing up had taught her of how much more life could be. 

She tried to caution her sister against the life she lived, but Julia always rebuffed her efforts, thinking she was simply bitter and jealous. John did not see anything wrong in pampering his miracle child, so Helen had no help, and eventually, she gave up on trying.

But when John passed away, things changed. His lawyer read the two girls his will, and the results were shocking, especially for Helen.

They learned that their father left Julia the house while Helen inherited a dirty old dish. Helen wanted to contest the will but decided that her sister, who was 21 at the time, needed whatever help she could get. 

Instead, Helen approached her to advise her on what to do with her life and inheritance. “I think you should sell the house and use the proceeds for college. I never got to go but you can,” she told Julia. 

“Why are you butting into my business? You’ve always acted like you’re better than I am but I guess daddy didn’t think so,” Julia replied. 

“Julia, I really think you should consider what I’m saying,” Helen begged, but her sister was in no mood to listen.

“I don’t need advice and even if I did, it would not be from a mere cook,” Julia mocked her older sister.

Helen was sad about it, but she decided to leave Julia to her affairs. The following week, she heard her sister sold their house and had moved to a more expensive apartment in the city. 

“Good luck sister,” Helen whispered to herself after hearing the news. 

Months passed, and Helen was doing great. Then one day, she was cleaning out her modest apartment when she happened upon the plate her father left her. 

She decided it shouldn’t go to waste, so she washed it and placed it in her rack, intending to use it on special occasions. 

One day, she hosted a small gathering of friends at her place, and she served them with the plate her father left behind. One of the people present happened to be a historian, and when he saw it, he did a double-take. 

He pointed it out to Helen, who was first skeptical. The next day, they both took the plate to an antique store where it was confirmed to belong to the Chinese dynasty and was very costly. 

The plate was valued at two million dollars, and she sold it to a collector, making her a wealthy woman indeed. She put all the money into building a restaurant business, and in a few years, it was booming. 

Meanwhile, Julia had no such luck. She spent all the money she got from selling the house at parties, and by the time the cash ran out, she had nothing going for her. Eventually, she became a homeless woman.

One day, hungry for food, Julia went to a restaurant famous for giving handouts to homeless people. She got there very early because people told her that the owner gave more generously than her cronies, and she only ever did that for those who arrived early. 

Imagine her shock when she reached the front of the cue and discovered that the owner people spoke kindly of was her sister Helen.

But the loving sister she was, Helen gracefully welcomed Julia with open arms. That day, she took her home and cleaned her up. Soon, she gave her a job at one of her restaurants and Julia never looked down on her again. 

What did we learn from this story?

• Laziness leads to unhappiness. Julia grew up getting pampered by her parents, so she couldn’t help but be lazy after they passed away. She wasted her money on frivolities until it ran out, leaving her on the streets begging for food. Her story could have been different had she invested in anything at all, but she did not, so she learned the hard way. 
• Be humble enough to listen. Helen advised her sister to use the money gained from selling the mansion to attend college, but Julia, filled with the knowledge that she got way more than her sister did, refused to listen. She regretted it eventually, but thankfully Helen was there to help her out. 

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.he ordered Helen to work as a dishwasher so there would be more income for them to live on. 

Helen initially hated it and challenged her father on her need to do it. “Why do I have to do that? I don’t see other kids doing that, they’re all going to college,” Helen told her father one day. 

“You’re 18 now Helen, you have grown and you need to learn how to be useful to other people now,” he told her. 

“You mean you and Julia,” Helen said before she walked away from him that day. 

They faced off like that two more times before Helen finally agreed to go to work. Her agreement was binding, which did not do anything to calm her jealousy towards Julia. 

Helen saw Julia as a spoiled child, and it created a wedge between the two girls. They butted heads all the time because of Julia’s unwillingness to work, and it only got worse as they grew older. 

As a teenager, Julia only wanted to party all the time while Helen got used to working to support the family. She worked a few months as a dishwasher before getting hired as a kitchen assistant and then as a cook. 

During the years she worked, Helen gave up her jealousy of Julia. She’d wanted a chance to also party and live life like her sister but growing up had taught her of how much more life could be. 

She tried to caution her sister against the life she lived, but Julia always rebuffed her efforts, thinking she was simply bitter and jealous. John did not see anything wrong in pampering his miracle child, so Helen had no help, and eventually, she gave up on trying.

But when John passed away, things changed. His lawyer read the two girls his will, and the results were shocking, especially for Helen.

They learned that their father left Julia the house while Helen inherited a dirty old dish. Helen wanted to contest the will but decided that her sister, who was 21 at the time, needed whatever help she could get. 

Instead, Helen approached her to advise her on what to do with her life and inheritance. “I think you should sell the house and use the proceeds for college. I never got to go but you can,” she told Julia. 

“Why are you butting into my business? You’ve always acted like you’re better than I am but I guess daddy didn’t think so,” Julia replied. 

“Julia, I really think you should consider what I’m saying,” Helen begged, but her sister was in no mood to listen.

“I don’t need advice and even if I did, it would not be from a mere cook,” Julia mocked her older sister.

Helen was sad about it, but she decided to leave Julia to her affairs. The following week, she heard her sister sold their house and had moved to a more expensive apartment in the city. 

“Good luck sister,” Helen whispered to herself after hearing the news. 

Months passed, and Helen was doing great. Then one day, she was cleaning out her modest apartment when she happened upon the plate her father left her. 

She decided it shouldn’t go to waste, so she washed it and placed it in her rack, intending to use it on special occasions. 

One day, she hosted a small gathering of friends at her place, and she served them with the plate her father left behind. One of the people present happened to be a historian, and when he saw it, he did a double-take. 

He pointed it out to Helen, who was first skeptical. The next day, they both took the plate to an antique store where it was confirmed to belong to the Chinese dynasty and was very costly. 

The plate was valued at two million dollars, and she sold it to a collector, making her a wealthy woman indeed. She put all the money into building a restaurant business, and in a few years, it was booming. 

Meanwhile, Julia had no such luck. She spent all the money she got from selling the house at parties, and by the time the cash ran out, she had nothing going for her. Eventually, she became a homeless woman.

One day, hungry for food, Julia went to a restaurant famous for giving handouts to homeless people. She got there very early because people told her that the owner gave more generously than her cronies, and she only ever did that for those who arrived early. 

Imagine her shock when she reached the front of the cue and discovered that the owner people spoke kindly of was her sister Helen.

But the loving sister she was, Helen gracefully welcomed Julia with open arms. That day, she took her home and cleaned her up. Soon, she gave her a job at one of her restaurants and Julia never looked down on her again. 

What did we learn from this story?

• Laziness leads to unhappiness. Julia grew up getting pampered by her parents, so she couldn’t help but be lazy after they passed away. She wasted her money on frivolities until it ran out, leaving her on the streets begging for food. Her story could have been different had she invested in anything at all, but she did not, so she learned the hard way. 
• Be humble enough to listen. Helen advised her sister to use the money gained from selling the mansion to attend college, but Julia, filled with the knowledge that she got way more than her sister did, refused to listen. She regretted it eventually, but thankfully Helen was there to help her out. 

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

  

When Savannah visits her grandmother, Rose, she finds her unusually upset, and it quickly becomes clear that something is very wrong. Determined to help, Savannah takes action and uncovers surprising reactions from the neighbors. What went wrong, and why is Rose so troubled?

Grandma Rose’s garden was her pride and joy. When I visited her that morning, I found her sitting on the porch, looking more distressed than I’d ever seen her.

“Grandma, what’s wrong?” I asked, sitting down beside her.

She sighed deeply. “Oh, it’s that Mr. Tanner, dear. He moved in next door, and now he wants me to sell part of my garden so he can extend his pool.”

I could feel my blood boiling. “What? He can’t do that! This garden means everything to you.”

Grandma Rose nodded. “I told him ‘no’ every time he asked, but he keeps pushing. I just don’t know what to do.”

I hugged her gently. “Don’t worry, Grandma. We’ll handle this together. I’ll make sure he leaves you and your garden alone.”

Grandma Rose smiled weakly, her eyes full of gratitude. She’d always been there for me, especially after my parents passed away. She took me in and raised me with all the love and care in the world. Now, it was my turn to protect her.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Savannah,” she said, patting my hand.

“You don’t have to worry about that, Grandma. I’m not going anywhere.”

As I looked around the garden, filled with blooming flowers and buzzing bees, I knew I couldn’t let anyone take this away from her. Grandma Rose was the most innocent, kind-hearted person I knew. She didn’t deserve this stress.

“I’ll talk to Mr. Tanner,” I said. “He can’t just bully you into selling your land.”

Grandma Rose’s smile widened a bit. “Thank you, dear. You always know how to make things better.”

With a nod, I promised myself I’d protect this garden and my sweet grandmother from any trouble Mr. Tanner brought our way.

I stayed over at Grandma’s that night. The next morning, I woke up early, ready to tackle the day and protect her garden. But when I stepped outside, my heart sank.

The garden was a mess. Flowers were trampled, and plants were uprooted. It looked like a tornado had blown through.

“Grandma, stay inside,” I called, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. I didn’t want her to see this destruction.

I stormed over to Mr. Tanner’s house and pounded on the door. He answered, smirking like he was expecting me.

“Good morning, Savannah,” he said, leaning casually against the doorframe.

“Good morning? How can you stand there and act so smug? Look at what happened to Grandma’s garden!” I pointed furiously at the wreckage.

He shrugged. “Oh, my dog must have gotten into your part of the garden. Sorry about that. I’ll put up a better fence when I finish expanding the pool.”

His insincerity was infuriating. I could see the smug satisfaction in his eyes, and it made my blood boil. But I knew I had to keep my cool.

“Your dog? Really? This isn’t just a few paw prints, Mr. Tanner. This is deliberate. You think you can bully us into selling our land by destroying it?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

He shrugged again, unfazed. “Believe what you want, Savannah. I’m just trying to be a good neighbor. Accidents happen, you know.”

I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to scream. “This ‘accident’ won’t change anything. Grandma isn’t selling her land, and I’m standing by her decision!” I said firmly.

He laughed, a cold, mocking sound. “We’ll see about that. Have a nice day, Savannah.”

I vowed to find a way to stop Mr. Tanner. I knew this wasn’t just about a garden.

This was about standing up for Grandma Rose and everything she loved. I had to find a solution, no matter what it took.

Mr. Tanner might have thought he had won, but little did he know, I was about to teach him a lesson his way!

Walking away, I knew I needed a plan. I called my friend Alex and arranged to meet him at the HOA office. He was always good with paperwork, and I thought he might find something to help us.

“Thanks for meeting me, Alex,” I said as we sat down in his office.

“Anything for you, Savannah. What’s going on?” he asked, looking concerned.

I explained everything, from Mr. Tanner’s demands to the destruction of Grandma’s garden. Alex listened intently, nodding as I spoke.

“That’s awful. Let me check his permits,” Alex said, turning to his computer. He typed quickly, searching through the HOA’s records. “Here it is. Well, would you look at that! Mr. Tanner doesn’t have a permit for his pool.”

My eyes widened. “You’re kidding! That means he’s building it illegally, right?”

“Exactly,” Alex confirmed. “We can report this, and the HOA will take action. No one is above the rules.”

Feeling a glimmer of hope, I thanked Alex and filed the report immediately. The HOA moved fast, issuing a fine and ordering Mr. Tanner to dismantle the pool.

When I heard the news, I felt a sense of justice, but I knew we weren’t done yet.

Grandma Rose was relieved when I told her. “Thank you, Savannah. You’re doing so much for me.”

“Grandma, this is just the beginning. We have to stay strong and make sure Mr. Tanner doesn’t try anything else.”

She nodded, her eyes full of pride. “I know we will. You have a good heart, Savannah.”

As I sat on the porch with Grandma, watching the sunset over her beloved garden, I felt determined. Mr. Tanner might have thought he could bully us, but he underestimated our resolve.

This wasn’t over just yet.

With the pool issue handled, I knew it was time to focus on rebuilding Grandma Rose’s garden. Sitting on the porch, I decided to turn to the community for help.

I opened Facebook and began typing our story, explaining what happened and how much Grandma’s garden meant to her.

“Hey everyone,” I wrote. “My grandma’s garden was recently destroyed by a neighbor’s dog, and we need your help to restore it. We’re organizing a garden restoration party this Saturday. Any help with plants, tools, or time would be greatly appreciated!”

I hit post, hoping people would respond. Within minutes, comments started pouring in.

“I have some extra flowers I can donate!” one neighbor wrote.

“I’ll bring my gardening tools and help out,” another said.

The response was overwhelming. I was touched by how many people were willing to help. It showed how much Grandma Rose was loved in the community.

I spent the next few days coordinating with everyone, making sure we had everything we needed.

On Saturday morning, the sun was shining as people began to arrive. Neighbors brought plants, tools, and their enthusiastic energy. Grandma Rose watched from the porch, her eyes shining with gratitude.

“Thank you all for coming,” I said, addressing the crowd. “This garden means the world to my grandma, and your help means everything to us.”

We got to work, planting flowers, re-tiling the soil, and fixing the damaged areas.

As we worked, I noticed Mr. Tanner standing at the edge of his yard, watching in silence. His once-smug expression was now replaced with one of defeat. I smiled to myself, glad that his evil intentions didn’t win.

By the end of the day, the garden looked even better than before. Flowers bloomed in vibrant colors, and the once-trampled plants stood tall again. Grandma Rose had tears in her eyes as she looked at the restored garden.

“Thank you, Savannah,” she said, hugging me tightly. “And thank everyone for their kindness.”

“This is just the beginning, Grandma,” I replied. “With a community like ours, we can face anything.”

With the garden fully restored, we decided to host a celebration to thank everyone who helped. The air buzzed with excitement as neighbors arrived, carrying trays of homemade food and bottles of lemonade.

Grandma Rose, looking happier than I’d seen her in a long time, stepped forward.

“I want to say a few words,” she began, her voice filled with emotion. “This garden has always been my sanctuary, a place of peace and beauty. When it was destroyed, I felt a part of me was lost. But seeing all of you come together to help restore it has filled my heart with joy and gratitude.”

Everyone clapped, and a few people wiped away tears. It was a touching moment that showed how much Grandma Rose meant to the community.

What would you have done?