Rich Guy Discovers Note Written by His Late Dad in Homeless Man's Jacket – Story of the Day

A rich man had no choice but to seek shelter in a homeless man's hut after a snowstorm halted his drive home. That night, he discovered a note written by his late father in the man's jacket.

Richard Jacobs had nothing more to ask for in life. He was a wealthy man running a stable business, had a gorgeous wife named Melanie, and two intelligent children named Timothy and Alice.

It hasn't always been this way though, as when he was a child, his parents were poor and could not afford to raise him. They left him at an orphanage where they promised to come back for him.

They told the orphanage not to have Richard adopted, as they would return for him once they earned enough money. However, years passed, and they never came back.

Richard was raised in the orphanage, but he never forgot how let-down he felt when his parents did not fulfill their promise. Growing up, he vowed to become a better parent.

Richard didn't think finding shelter in a hut would lead to a discovery about his life. | Photo: Shutterstock

While he was at the orphanage, he went to a local public school, where he diligently studied even after school hours. He got a full scholarship to a private university in Texas, where he quickly landed a job after graduation.

Texas weather being inconsistent during winter, he was on the way back home from the office when a state of emergency was declared because of a snowstorm. He ignored all warnings because he wanted to make it back home for his son Timothy's birthday party.

"There's no way I won't be home for your birthday, honey. Wait for dad, I'm coming," he said over the phone. He knew how excited Timothy was for his birthday, and he promised they'd celebrate it as a complete family.

While he made half the trip, the visibility was too low for him to continue on. He had to make a pit stop, but the closest landmark he could find was a small hut in the middle of vast land. He made the turn and knocked on the door.

"Hi," Richard said as a man in ragged clothes opened the door. "I'm Richard. The snow's crazy and I'm unable to continue driving. Can I seek shelter for a bit?" he asked.

Richard's past did not stop him from making a name for himself. | Photo: Pexels

"Of course, please come in. I'm Samuel," the man introduced himself. He then proceeded to hand Richard a ragged jacket and a blanket, which he was hesitant to use but ended up accepting anyway. He was feeling way too cold for comfort.

"It always snows this time of the year, but they could never tell when it actually starts pouring," Samuel said as he lit up the small makeshift fireplace he had.

"I know. This year seems to be worse. I thought my car could take it since it's pretty fast," Richard explained.

"You should be careful. Roads are treacherous during storms," the man warned.

"Yeah. I wanted to be at home for my son's birthday. I promised to be there, so I don't want to disappoint him," Richard said, placing his hands closer to the fire.

"You're a good father, that's nice to know. It's best to be careful, though, it's better to miss one birthday than to miss all because of an accident."

At that, Richard and Samuel fell silent. A couple of minutes later, he decided to keep warm by putting his hands inside the man's old jacket. It was then that he felt a crumpled piece of paper inside.

It was impossible to continue driving during the snowstorm. | Photo: Shutterstock

He decided to read it:

"Richieboo, I hope you know mom and I love you more than anything in the world. We were poor and penniless, and we were afraid we would not be able to feed you. So we had no choice but to leave you at an orphanage while we tried to earn some money. We did end up finding a job. We work at a farm just a few kilometers away from the hut we stayed in. Unfortunately, the snow is too thick and we cannot walk back. We're freezing, sweetheart, and we're afraid we might never see you again. We are so sorry we were not able to come back for you. We love you so much and wish you all the best in life. We will watch over you from wherever we are. We will leave this note with your Uncle Samuel, hoping one day it reaches you. He went looking for someone to help us out here, but he may not be back in time. We love you, sweetheart. Love, mom and dad."

Richard was in tears. "Richieboo" was the nickname given to him by his mom, and the story written in the letter mimicked his own life story. "Are you alright, young man?" Samuel asked as he noticed the tears falling from his eyes.

"Uncle Samuel?" he asked. At that, Samuel's eyes widened.

Richard was surprised to know the hut he was in was where his parents used to live. | Photo: Shutterstock

"Is it really you, Richard? Your dad... he had a scar on his right arm, what happened?" he asked to confirm that it was really his nephew.

"He got it from a biking accident when he was teaching me how to bike downhill," Richard explained. The story matched what his friends once told him.

"It really is you... I'm sorry, Richard. Your parents were living with me, right here in this hut! I'm sorry I couldn't save them, I still don't forgive myself for not getting to them on time," he said.

Samuel also explained that he didn't have enough money to take care of Richard, even with the amount that his parents left behind. So he donated the money to the orphanage and thought it'd be best if Richard just grew up there.

The next morning when it was finally safe to drive, Richard invited Samuel over to his home. There, he introduced the man to his family, and they all happily welcomed him into their home.

Samuel tried to refuse, but Richard would not take no for an answer. "Either you move to the cottage, or we all move to the hut. It's your choice, uncle!"

What did we learn from this story?

• If you believe it, you can achieve it. The way Richard's parents abandoned him might have scarred him, but it did not stop him from working hard to do well for himself.
• The past should not dictate your future. Richard decided to forge his own path as a parent by becoming a good dad.

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