Great Grandpa's Parting Gift

A man leaves behind one last legacy of love for his great-granddaughter.

By Rosella Newman, Laredo, Texas

As appeared in

Niki was the apple of her great-grandpa’s eye. He loved to spoil her even more than I did, and I was her grandmother! If Niki’s mother said no candy, her great-grandpa slipped her a piece. When Niki wanted a toy, her great-grandpa bought it. Niki was one lucky girl!

While I was visiting one day, Niki said that she wanted a turtle.

“Those things carry disease,” her mother said, wrinkling her nose.

“How about a fish instead,” I suggested. But Niki was adamant. She wanted a turtle. I was glad Great-grandpa wasn’t there.

The next morning, we got news he’d passed away. On the day of the wake, in the parking lot of the funeral home, my daughter noticed something crawling underneath her car. It was a turtle. Not just an ordinary turtle—someone had painted a colorful pattern on its shell.

“I guess we know who this is for,” she said. We scooped up the turtle and brought it back home to surprise Niki.

“I’m going to call him Lucky!” she said.

One last treat from Great-grandpa. Niki was one lucky girl.

Your Comments (1)

Ester Yates on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at 1:33 am

That little turtle was grandpa,he was make sure Nikki got one last thing from him.I believe in angle appearing tell you your love one safely in heaven,and they our love one scenting messages to us.I now 70 years old and never was there a time when i did not know how Jesus was.I also had lots of incident where angle appease to me.many after my son death at 22 years old.I keep asking God did he go to heaven.a friend told me how God had revealed to her he was in heaven.My dad told me that God had revealed to him.My son came to me on two difference time tell me Mom i happy here and i would not come back if i could.My brother has open heart surgery,his pastor was saying what a loving care person my brother was.He said my brother call him after his nephew died and ask do you thing it possible he could have gone to heaven,the pastor ask what was his name he told,pastor replied yes i just spoke to him about 2 weeks ago and him was he was saved he said yes,but he go so as shame for he had sin he hang his head in shame when he stood be for God.They pastor had no way of knowing he was talking to the young man mother, until i told him.