97-Year-Old Woman Says She 'Doesn't Feel Pretty Anymore' So Her Great-Granddaughter Takes Her Dress Shopping To Remind Her How Beautiful She Is
The outing created a special memory for them both.
Halfpoint / Shutterstock As we age, it’s natural to feel differently about our appearance. We are constantly changing, and we notice it all.
One 97-year-old was not immune to these issues, as she told family members that she no longer felt pretty. When her great-granddaughter heard this, she set out to change things for her beloved great-grandma.
A woman organized a shopping trip with her mother and great-grandmother to remind the latter how beautiful she is.
An Australian TikToker named Tilly Cleyne posted a video sharing highlights from her shopping trip with her great-grandmother, whom she wanted to help feel beautiful again.
In the caption of the video, Cleyne said, “My great-grandmother (97), who only ever wears pants and a t-shirt, told me she didn’t feel pretty anymore. This coming from such a strong, powerful and inspirational woman honestly broke my heart.”
After listening to her great-grandmother, Cleyne hatched a plan. “She mentioned she might like to wear a dress again, and I know she hasn’t worn one since Pa passed away, so I was determined to have this be a special and fun day for her,” she said.
“Mum and I took her shopping, and we truly had the best girls’ day,” Cleyne continued. “She was very particular and picky in the make of the dresses, the fabric used, and the way it did up.”
Cleyne’s great-grandmother’s pickiness was evident in the accompanying video. She was seen scrunching her face and shaking her head at some dresses while pulling at the fabric of others.
While this might be frustrating to some, Cleyne loved watching it. “It was beautiful to sit and watch her look in the mirror and admire who she was and how she looked in each dress, but also watch herself point out what she didn’t like about herself and some of the dresses (because that’s human, and seeing my great-grandma do exactly what I would do when trying on clothes was so incredibly relatable and realistic to the unrealistic standards we put on ourselves),” she said.
She also very sweetly thought of her great-grandmother wearing the dress once she picked one out. “I watched her move around in the dresses to see how they would look when she was doing puzzles at the retirement village, [and] I watched her face light up when she tried on a dress that made her feel pretty,” Cleyne stated.
What Cleyne did for her great-grandma is incredibly important.
It may seem like a small thing to take someone dress shopping, but according to experts, this was actually quite a big deal. A Place for Mom said, “When seniors feel valued, they benefit enormously … Younger people also gain perspective and enjoyment from intergenerational relationships.”
“Respect your elders” may be an old adage, but it’s also a true one. It’s important to show the elderly respect and love, as there are not many chances left to do so. Developing a positive relationship with your elderly loved ones is truly priceless.
According to A Place for Mom, “The benefits of positive intergenerational relationships are the same as having positive relationships in general: higher life satisfaction, decreased mortality, and improved happiness. Showing respect to the elderly person in your life can greatly improve not just their happiness but yours as well.”
Photo: Maria Orlova / Pexels
Cleyne and her great-grandmother share a great love, which is evident in every moment of the video.
It’s apparent that Cleyne has a great deal of respect and love for her great-grandmother, and both are benefiting from the happiness this intergenerational relationship brings.
This is surely a day that will not soon be forgotten by Cleyne, her mother, or her great-grandmother. They will always have this special memory to cherish.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics.