Phillip and Margaret met in unusual circumstances. He was an orphan who had spent his whole life at an orphanage in New Jersey, and she was the director’s daughter.

When Margaret visited the orphanage with her father, she always chatted with Phillip, who relished every moment of their chats. Margaret’s trips to the orphanage became increasingly regular, and she developed a close bond with Phillip.

Many years passed, and the couple became older. After turning 20, Phillip decided it was time to tell Margaret how he felt about her. He knew she had affection for him, so he was not shocked when she accepted his proposal to be her husband.

However, Margaret’s parents opposed the match, despite the lovers’ desire for each other. Her mother passionately opposed the notion, hoping her daughter would marry a wealthy guy.

Phillip was not the best match for Margaret, according to her mother. Phillip’s low-paying part-time job at a diner, which he took to help pay for his legal degree, also irritated Margaret.

Margaret’s parents eventually decided to grant their daughter’s request to marry Phillip. However, they did so on the condition that Phillip acquire a job.

Phillip accepted the requirement and worked hard to earn his degree, eventually landing a job at a reputable legal firm after a few years.

After gaining the position, Phillip married his true love, Margaret, and they began their new life together. The couple had always wanted to have children and couldn’t wait to do so. However, Margaret found it difficult to conceive.

For the first few years of their marriage, Margaret and Phillip were unhappy due to their inability to conceive. After attempting several methods to have a child, they ultimately decided on adoption.

The couple decided to adopt one child and visited an orphanage. However, while there, they couldn’t resist the temptation to adopt a set of triplets born lately.

As they dug deeper, they discovered that the orphanage had abandoned the triplets one morning. This pulled the couple closer to them and led to their adoption.

Phillip and Margaret were delighted and loved raising their children after the adoption. However, just as they believed nothing could go wrong, tragedy struck.

Phillip had a leg injury while visiting the construction site of his family’s dream house. The wound was serious and necessitated surgery.

The procedure revealed that his leg had developed a staph infection and required amputation. Phillip was devastated by this.

He spent a year on bed rest, which was a challenging period for his family, as Margaret had to take care of him and their children. This challenge arose due to Margaret’s lack of necessary qualifications.

Furthermore, Margaret was not a stellar student and faced significant challenges in completing her graduation. This was due in part to her mother’s demand that she focus on raising children and being a successful wife and mother rather than on schooling.

She thus struggled to find employment until she secured a position as a school bus driver. Despite the nature of the work, Margaret did not seek her parents’ assistance because she knew it would mean the end of her marriage to Phillip, something she did not desire.

Instead of relying on her parents, she worked tirelessly to satisfy her financial obligations and care for her family. Margaret, on the other hand, found the stress of the task, of being a mother to triplets, and being the wife of a crippled man too much to bear. Her condition deteriorated, and she died of a heart attack shortly afterward.

Phillip couldn’t believe what happened. He found himself widowed and unsure of what to do next.

After Margaret died, her parents severed relations with Phillip, blaming him for her death. Following that, Phillip’s life became harder. His earnings as a lawyer’s assistant were barely enough to cover his expenses, so he spent all of his funds on caring for his children.

Phillip also halted the development of his family’s dream house and sold their apartment to live in an outdated flat for which he paid a monthly fee.

He and his children battled every day, barely managing to feed and survive. One could have forgiven them for assuming the worst would happen.

However, one Christmas morning, just as it seemed that all hope had vanished, Phillip heard a knock on the door.

He wasn’t expecting anyone because he rarely had guests other than those he owed money to. As a result, he took a long time to open the door. When he eventually opened it, he was astonished to see a guy dressed as Santa Claus standing at the door.

Santa said, “Good morning, Phillip. Here’s a present from someone who truly cares for you.” Merry Christmas!”

“This has to be a joke or a mistake, Santa,” Phillip protested, unable to believe what he was seeing and hearing. I believe you’re in the wrong house. I don’t have any family members who would consider sending us anything. We’ve spent many Christmases here alone.

Santa carefully listened to Phillip’s argument and encouraged him not to be so judgmental since he never knew who cared about him.

Santa begged Phillip not to give up hope and handed him a note. Phillip grew upset and concluded that Santa was a fraud. The address on the envelope containing the letter distracted Phillip just as he was about to confront Santa.

Upon learning the letter was for him, he wondered who delivered it. He opened the envelope to discover its contents, which included a year of health insurance and a $100,000 cash gift for home repairs.

Phillip, astonished by what he saw, shouted to Santa, who was leaving. Santa was asking him, “Please, can you tell me who sent the letter and the gifts to me?”

Santa consented, but only if Phillip prepared him a cup of tea in exchange. Phillip gave his consent and allowed the stranger to enter his home. He prepared and presented a cup of tea to the stranger.

While enjoying his tea, the man masquerading as Santa informed Phillip that one of New Jersey’s richest men, Jake Murphy, 80, had sent him.

Murphy’s wife died in a car accident three years ago, so he established a foundation in her honor. The charity assisted poor families yearly. This was due to Murphy’s lack of children and the constant loneliness he felt after his wife’s death. As a result, he resolved to make a difference in someone’s life each Christmas.

That year, Margaret’s sister told Phillip’s tale on a live radio broadcast, and Murphy agreed to aid him.

Phillip grew emotional after learning about the origins of everything. He immediately contacted Margaret’s sister to thank her for sharing his tale.

He also asked Murphy over for Christmas dinner. Murphy accepted the invitation and arrived looking delighted. Following that, he paid regular visits to Phillip and his triplets, providing care for them. Murphy became a favorite among the triplets, who referred to him as their grandfather.

Phillip abandoned his low-paying job as a lawyer’s assistant and began working at Murphy’s. He amassed a fortune and was able to support his children.

What can we glean from this story?

Love, not blood, builds families. Love, more than blood, unites a family. Murphy’s care for Phillip’s triplets led them to call him “grandpa.” Furthermore, despite only knowing Phillip, Murphy treated him like a family member.

Never give up. Life may be so difficult at times that it’s tempting to give up. However, keeping working and believing that things will improve, as Phillip did, is crucial.