At 75 I Was Sure I Lost My Former Beauty until My Granddaughter Helped Me Feel Young Again — Story of the Day

A woman thought her beauty was gone for good until her granddaughter helped her find it in herself again. So she decided to be brave, and her life changed forever.

"Oh, sweet child. Linda, you have to enjoy your youth as much as you can because one day, it'll be gone for good, and you'll miss it," I told my granddaughter, Linda, while we were browsing through my old photo albums.

"You're beautiful in these pictures, Grandma," Linda commented, flipping the pages excitedly.

"I was. But that's long gone now. Sometimes, I don't even recognize myself in the mirror," I replied, shaking my head.

But just as I was about to inside, an idea popped into my head, and I crossed the street.

"What? No, you're still just as pretty," she protested, frowning.

"Oh, hush, you," I smiled and distracted her from those thoughts. "You should try to make photo albums too. Nowadays, people keep their pictures on their phones. That's no fun…"

The next day…

"Grandma! Quick! Let's go!" Linda had burst through my door, shouting.

"Child, what are you talking about? Where are we going?" I asked, taking off my glasses. I had been reading this entire morning and was not expecting a visit from Linda.

"Come on! Quick! Get in my car!" she insisted with a stern look on her face, so I grabbed my purse and jacket because it was already getting nippy in Connecticut and went along with her.

"Where are we going?" I kept asking, but Linda would shake her head.

"You'll see," was all she told me.

Finally, her destination became apparent. It was a beauty salon, and although I had loved them in my youth, I had not been to one in years. "Oh, no, Linda. I can't go in. It's a waste of time. Look at me. I'll never be beautiful again, so I see no need to spend money on this," I tried to refuse while Linda parked and rounded the car toward the passenger side door.

"First of all," she started, yanking open the door and grabbing my arm. "You're not paying. I am, so get out. We're doing this."

"Honey, why?" I questioned, getting out of the car but still confused.

"Grandma, I know you don't recognize yourself in the mirror as you told me yesterday, but we're here to remind you of how beautiful you are. Every wrinkle on your face and your hands tells a story of an incredible life filled with love, hard work, care, and… the best food a little girl like me could hope for," Linda started, and my mouth closed tightly as I tried to contain my feelings. "And sometimes, all girls need to be reminded exactly how beautiful we are. So, let's go in."

"Ok," I said quietly and followed her.

I have to admit that it was one of the best days I've ever had. At 75, I thought I would not enjoy this anymore, but I did. The buzz of the hair dryers, the laughter of the stylists, the pungent smell of nail polish, and the excitement of getting a makeover drew me in. I gabbed with the gals about boys and TV shows just like I did decades ago. It felt good. I was young again.

And when I tried to be a little demurer with my manicure or my makeup, Linda pushed me to get more. Even the stylist had something to say. "Roberta, trust us to make you look your best. But most of all, trust your granddaughter. She loves you and wants to see you happy," this kind lady told me, and I nodded with a reserved grin.

When I was done with hair, nails, and makeup, Linda seemed to produce a garment bag out of nowhere. "Time to wear this before you see the final look!" she announced, and the ladies at the salon ushered me to the back, where I changed.

They were all waiting for me when I came out and guided towards a full-length mirror. Once again, I could not recognize the person in it. But this time, it was for a good reason. I had lamented the image my home mirrors showed for a while. However, the woman looking back at me was gorgeous with all her wrinkles, gray hair, and frail hands. She was amazing. She was indescribably me.

I hugged my wonderful granddaughter, thanked all the ladies at the salon, and went out for a beautiful lunch. Linda and I continued chatting as if we were best friends, and I realized what great my daughter had done with that girl. She and her mother were my proudest achievements in life.

Eventually, Linda drove me home, and I waved goodbye as her car left my block. But just as I was about to go inside, an idea popped into my head, and I crossed the street.

"Roberta," my front-door neighbor, Alexander, said, raising his eyebrows. He had moved here five years ago, and I always noticed him. He was so handsome but ten years young than I and I didn't dare to approach him properly. "How nice to see you. You look wonderful!"

"Thank you. Alexander, I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me?" I asked boldly. Surprisingly, he said yes, and we went out that night.

Despite our age gap, we had a great night and arranged many dates, and I was happier than I had been in a long time. I felt like a young, gorgeous woman, and I had fallen in love again. My family was happy and supportive. What more could I ask for?

And then, Alexander proposed a year after our first day, and I was even more blissful.

At the wedding…

Of course, my daughter, Fernanda, and granddaughter were my bridesmaids. They fussed over me and made me beautiful for my special day. I couldn't believe it. I was getting married again. I was a blushing bride again. And there was something important I had to tell Linda.

"Sweetheart, give me your hands," I asked her, extending my own.

"Grandma, let me just fix this hem," she answered, starting to lean, but I stopped her.

"In a second. I want to talk to you," I said and looked into her eyes when she finally gave me her hands. "Darling, I can't thank you enough for what you did last year. You gave me myself back and reminded me of my own beauty. I will be eternally grateful for that."

"Grandma, I did nothing," Linda blushed, and Fernanda got closer to us with her smile filled with pride.

"You two," I looked at them. "My wonderful girls are the most amazing women in my life. I'm overwhelmed with love, joy, and gratitude, looking at what you have become and thinking of what awaits you. I can't tell you what it means to have you by my side today. Thank you. Thank you!"

"Oh, Grandma. We're going to ruin our makeup," Linda said, but we hugged each other tightly for several minutes.

"Linda is right, Mom," my daughter added, but she also joined our huddle. We did have to fix our faces a bit afterward, but all was well.

I walked down the aisle on the arm of my son, who lived in California but had flown in for the wedding, and I married that man I loved, knowing that this new adventure was only possible because I had the best support next to me.

What can we learn from this story?

• Sometimes, you have to remind your loved ones of their beauty. Linda reminded her grandmother of her magnificence, and she never forgot it again.
• A makeover every once in a while can boost your confidence. Roberta had lost sight of herself and her attractiveness, but after her makeover, she got her spunk back and found a new man.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about an older woman who entered a beauty salon only to be ignored by everyone.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers 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.