After giving land titles to his children, my father kept a large plot just for himself.
I am the youngest of 10 siblings. My father quietly divided a portion of his 15-hectare land, and transferred the titles to some of my brothers and sisters. Later, when he was in his 80s, he split the remaining land.
He divided his land into 11 shares, with the last portion reserved for himself and my mother. It was a large piece of land, plus three hectares set aside for the ancestral house, which he refused to divide. Some of my siblings were displeased.
Parents often leave all of their assets to their children. Illustration photo by Pexel
At 85, he fell seriously ill. None of his 10 children could afford the hospital bills. Thanks to his reserved land and planned savings, his life was temporarily spared.
I asked him: “Why do you keep so much land for the ancestral house? Some of my siblings are unhappy.” He replied: “If one day a child or grandchild of mine falls on hard times and has no land to live on, they can come here and build a home. There will still be enough land for everyone. The ancestral house will also be a place for them to return to during anniversaries.”
What he did left a lasting impression on me. Keeping land and savings for retirement — even building his and my grandmother’s graves in advance — turned out to be a wise choice. As much as children love their parents, when financial hardships come, it’s not always possible to step in.
My father planned ahead, and it saved him — and us.