‘You’re Too Old!’ Children Forbid Their Grandma to Date until They Recognize the Man She’s Seeing — Story of the Day

Teenagers visiting their grandmother for Sunday lunch hear her flirting on the phone and tell her she is much too old to date.

Have you ever been surprised to catch a glimpse of a stranger in the mirror? A stranger who you recognize as yourself? A stranger who is so much older than you thought you'd ever be?

Then you will understand how Mandy Garritson felt when her teenage grandchildren told her she was too old for love, much too old for kisses...

Mandy had been widowed very young and left to raise her only daughter, Rita, alone. Her already complicated life had become even more difficult when Rita fell pregnant at sixteen.

She had given birth to Jean, and it had been Mandy who'd raised her granddaughter while her daughter finished high school and went to college. Then Rita married, and the family had grown.

Mandy had been completely invested in her grandchildren. Jean was now sixteen, Mark was twelve, and Brad was just seven. It was only when Brad went to school that Mandy realized how lonely she was.

No matter how old and wrinkled we might get, inside beat the same hopeful hearts.

Yes, she had her daughter and a son-in-law who adored her, and three gorgeous grandchildren, but now that they were growing up, her life was very empty.

One exception was on Sundays. The three kids came to lunch and gave their parents a break, and for Mandy, it was a treat. She made the kids' favorite dishes and a special dessert.

Best of all, she got to spend quality time with her beloved grandchildren! The doorbell rang and Mandy hurried to the door. "Kids!" she cried and started distributing hugs ad kisses all around.

Before the long, the four of them were sitting down to a splendid lunch and chatting away happily. "So tell me, Jean," Mandy asked. "How did the math final go?"

Just then, Mandy's phone rang. "Sorry guys!" she exclaimed and answered the call.

"Hey..." Mandy smiled, and her grandchildren were stunned to see her blush. "Yes... Hmmm..." Was their grandmother giggling? "You'd have to persuade me..." she was saying. "I can be bribed with kisses...."

A few moments later, Mandy hung up. She turned back to the table smiling and was met with hostile faces.

"What's going on, Gran?" asked Jean sharply. "Who was THAT?"

Mandy was surprised by Jean's aggressive tone but she kept her cool. "Someone I'm seeing," she said.

"Seeing?" piped up Brad. "What do you mean? You're not blind, you see EVERYONE!"

Mark nudged his younger brother. "She means she's DATING this dude," he said.

"You CAN'T!" cried Jean.

"Yeah," Mark said. "That's DISGUSTING! You're OLD!"

"I beg your pardon?" gasped Mandy. "Where do you three get off telling me what to do?"

"Please, gran," scoffed Jean. "It's pathetic, a woman your age!"

Mandy flushed. "A woman my age?" she asked. "What exactly do you mean by a woman my age?"

"Like Mark said," Jean explained. "You're too OLD for this stuff."

"What stuff?" asked Mandy who was starting to get upset.

"Love and kissing," Jean said, then she lowered her voice and threw the boys a look. "MAKING love. Do you know how ridiculous that is?"

"So, you think the idea that someone could fall in love with me is RIDICULOUS?" asked Mandy. "Is that what you're saying?"

Jean shrugged. "Yeah."

"Please, gran," Mark said. "Jean is right. Imagine kissing with dentures? Yech!"

"I don't have dentures!" Mandy cried.

"No," Mark said. "But I'm sure your boyfriend does!"

"That's enough!" Mandy cried. "Inside, I'm the same girl I was when I met your grandfather. How can you say these things to me? Out, all of you! Go home!"

"But we haven't had dessert!" whined Brad.

"Yeah," Jean said. "We want that lemon meringue pie..."

"Sorry," Mandy said. "I'm too old to bake pies, and kiss, so you'd best go home!"

When Jean, Mark, and Brad got home, they were very indignant and complained to their parents about how Mandy had thrown them out without dessert because they told her she was too old to date and kiss.

They were in for a surprise. "How dare you tell your grandmother what to do?" asked their mother angrily. "You go right back and apologize!"

The three walked the two blocks back to their grandmother's house sulking. "I don't want to apologize," Mark kept saying. I won't!"

When they got to Mandy's house, they saw a car pull up and a familiar figure get out and walk to their grandmother's door. "Hey," Mark said. "That's Mr. Wulfmeyer, my tennis coach!"

"Mom says he's a total silver fox!" Jean commented.

"But why is he going to gran's house and why does he have flowers?" asked Brad suspiciously.

"O.M.G.!" cried Jean. "Do you think he's gran's BOYFRIEND?"

"Nah..." said Mark. "That's impossible!"

It was then that Mandy opened the door. The kids noticed for the first time that their gran was actually very pretty and not at all old! Mr. Wulfmeyer didn't seem to think she was old either. He was kissing her -- a lot.

"Guys," Jean said. "I think we'd better come back and apologize another day. I think gran is busy!" They came back the next day and apologized humbly, and became their grandmother's biggest supporters.

What can we learn from this story?

• Don't judge people by their age or appearance. Jean, Mark, and Brad saw Mandy as a grandmother, not a woman -- but she was both.
• You're never too old for love and kisses. No matter how old and wrinkled we might get, inside beat the same hopeful hearts that long to fall in love and be happy.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman in the hospital for a serious illness who becomes a surrogate grandmother to a sick little girl.

This account is inspired by our reader’s story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com