They thought I was just a sweet old lady with one foot in the grave. But when I overheard my own children discussing the headstone they’d already picked out for me, I decided kindness wasn’t the same as weakness. At seventy-four, I’ve lived long enough to know when it’s time to stand up for myself.

I raised three children—Betty, Thomas, and Sarah—with everything I had. Their daddy and I worked ourselves to the bone, making sure they had opportunities we never did. Every birthday, every scraped knee, every late-night worry, I was there. We weren’t rich, but we gave them love, security, and a home. I thought that counted for something.

After Harold passed, they put me in a nursing home. “For the best,” they said. Truth was, they didn’t have time. For years they barely visited. Then, when my health began to decline, they suddenly appeared—bringing flowers, acting concerned, hovering over my finances. I knew the truth: they were circling like vultures, waiting on their inheritance.

The last straw came when I overheard them joking about my burial plot and headstone, laughing about how it would all be covered once I was gone. That night, I cried—but then I made a decision. I called my lawyer, rewrote my will, and planned a little surprise.

When my family gathered, expecting a payday, my lawyer read the new will: one dollar to each child and grandchild. The rest went to charity—and to funding the adventures Harold and I never took.

So next month, I’m off to see the Grand Canyon with Gladys from down the hall. My children may have counted me out, but I’ve still got living left to do.