Lonely Woman Brings Gifts To Her Neighbor’s Children Because She Misses Being A Grandma
It's always the season to reach out and foster connection.
cottonbro studio / Pexels The holidays can be a busy and often overwhelming time, as family members travel across the country to spend time together. Yet for some people, the season is marked with isolation and loneliness, especially for older individuals.
A lonely woman brought gifts to her neighbor’s kids because she missed being a grandma.
The family’s Ring doorbell captured the exchange on video, in a grainy black-and-white recording. The woman walked across the snow-covered yard, bearing gifts to give to the kids next door.
“Do you know who I am?” she asked the girl who came to the door.
“No,” said the girl, so the woman said that they were neighbors and that she lived next door, two houses down.
“Remember? You used to come by,” the woman said, as the girl’s brother came to see what was going on.
“We know you!” The boy exclaimed.
Photo: RDNE Stock Project / Pexels
“I’m not going trick-or-treating,” the woman said, offering them bags full of candy, along with gift cards for McDonald's. The kids reacted with excitement, gratefully accepting the tokens of friendship. They thanked her profusely, and she accepted their thanks with gratitude of her own.
The older woman asked her young neighbors to visit her because she missed having kids around.
“I’d like to be a grandma,” she shared. “I am a grandma, but my kids are so big, and I really enjoy when you guys stop by when you can.”
Photo: Eugene Golovesov / Pexels
The woman’s message was hopeful yet tinged with sadness. Her sense of loneliness and desire to connect was palpable. Despite having grandkids of her own, the woman mentioned that they were older, and she wanted to feel the joy and energy that kids bring.
It’s well-established that there’s a loneliness epidemic that’s taken root in the United States, something that’s so serious that the Surgeon General has issued health warnings about the negative effects that social isolation has on both our physical and mental health.
Yet there are small, actionable ways to combat loneliness, as this older woman put into practice. Being the one to reach out first is no small feat: It takes courage and a lot of heart to get in touch with someone after time has passed. It's unclear if the woman lives far away from her family, yet her desire to create connections within her community is a great way to feel less alone on a day-to-day basis.
Photo: Kenzhar Sharap / Pexels
There’s truth to the idea that being around young people keeps us young. Cross-generational relationships are of huge value to both young people and older people. With age comes wisdom and extensive life experience. That wisdom should be shared with others so it stays alive and can help kids understand the world as they grow up.
While we don’t know if the kids took time to visit the older woman as she asked them to, the mere fact that she put herself out of her comfort zone and asked for what she needed — a stronger sense of social connection — was a brave victory, all on its own.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers mental health, pop culture, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.