I cared for an elderly man who lived next door and had cancer. I didn’t know him well, but after not seeing him all winter, I checked in on his health. He had lost 50 pounds, and the doctor was puzzled about what was wrong. So, I volunteered to help, and it turned out he had malignant cancer. His family lived across the country and didn’t want to be involved in his life or health, so I stepped up. For the next three years, we went through chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. His family was Roman Catholic, and I believe he was gay, though we never talked about it. They thought he was a sinner and left him behind, which was really sad.
Since I lived next door, I kept an eye on him from my kitchen window when he needed peace. We moved his bedroom to the living room so he could rest while I watched over him. One day, he tried to cook, and thankfully, I noticed the fire! I put it out and decided he wouldn’t cook again, so I took charge of his meals, even though he struggled to eat.
This became my life. I found out he had never celebrated a birthday, so I invited my family over with gifts and cards, and he was over the moon!
When he passed away, he left me his house and Corvette, which made his family furious, even though they were well-off. I had him buried in his family plot and bought him a beautiful headstone. Sadly, his family had the cemetery management destroy it, which broke my heart and made me really angry. The next time I visited, the manager told me they had spoken to the family and agreed with me that they were awful people!
One evening while visiting, it started snowing softly, and as I was leaving, a whole herd of deer stood up and stared at me. They weren’t scared at all. In that moment, I felt he was safe and happy. His family might have thought they condemned him, but that wasn’t the case! My heart swelled, and I replaced my tears with a smile.
The moral of my story is this: it doesn’t matter what material things you have; take care of those who can’t care for themselves. Be there for people who need you, whether they’re family or neighbors. It really lifts your spirit to know you did the right thing.
Oh, and when he left me his house and car in his will, he made sure his family would get $7,000 to prevent them from contesting it. I sent them his dress uniform from when he was a Marine, his dog tags, and other items a family would cherish. They refused delivery and sent it back. I sold his house when the market was low and remodeled the kitchen and bathroom.
I’ll never forget him. I have a shadow box at home filled with pictures, dog tags, and coins from around the world, including a picture of him riding a camel on vacation. Most of his money went to Karmanos Cancer Society. I don’t regret a single moment of those three years. Remember, be there for those who have no one. It’s all about what you do, not what you have. Thanks for reading my long story!
And for the woman who thought it was a “weird, sensational tale of fiction,” I promise it’s 100% true. The cemetery management destroyed the headstone because it was a family plot, and the family had the final say. I complained and got a refund for the headstone after they realized how rude the family was. I’m sorry if my post didn’t resonate with you, but it meant a lot to many others.
I’ve received so many beautiful comments from people everywhere. I never expected this! Thank you all for the lovely words! If I had known this would happen, I would have loved to know where everyone is from, so feel free to share your location! ❤️❤️❤️❤️