Sweet 16 is a big birthday for most of us, and as the day approached from Lauren Blank, her excitement grew. Unlike most teens, Lauren was not one for over-the-top parties and was looking forward to a more fitting celebration.
Sweet 16
Lauren, known to her friend and family as Ren, had decided to have a small party just with those nearest and dearest, her family and close friends. It was all she wanted to make her day as sweet as possible.
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A Small Celebration
But low and behold, her family, specifically her grandfather, had planned something she would never forget.
This is the story about a bond between granddaughter and grandfather that will have you wiping away your tears.
Small Town in a Big City
Ren and her family grew up in a small town in Texas called Keller, with a population of some 45,000 residents.
The whole appeal of the city was its ability to both have that small-town charm, while also having the comforts of living in a big city.
If you’ve been to Keller, you would understand that rings true.
Ren fit in well to her surroundings and had become a mature and smart young woman, and her family wanted to do something extra special for her birthday, but no one could guess how it would all turn out.
A Decade of Preparations
Now Ren’s grandfather is one dedicated man, who had been planning out her Sweet 16 celebration for over a decade!!! As unbelievable as that sounds, he also kept his plans a secret, not even telling them to Ren’s parents!
The gift would be so extra special, that there would not be a dry eye left when it was finally revealed.
An Unorthodox Heirloom
While most teens dream about gifts for their Sweet 16 such as a car or an expensive laptop, what Ren would receive may not be the most expensive, but it would be the most valuable of all.
Even when grandparents give their grandchildren heirlooms, you expect such things as jewels or something precious, this gift was nothing like that, yet it was all the more valuable.
A Celebration of Their Bond
The gift she was about to receive would alter their relationship forever. But to truly grasp it, you need to understand the deep and unique bond Ren shared with her grandfather, one which started when she was still a young girl.
Unlike most parents who send their kids to day-care from a young age, Ren’s parents thought it was a great time to spend the day with family, so from ages of 2 to 5 she would be under the care of her loving grandfather, it was then that he hatched the plan for the big surprise.
Sacred Shared Times
Ron Petrillo, Ren’s grandfather, wanted to make those three together special, not only for the time at hand but for the future, what he decided to do would be the best way to keep the memories alive, especially since Ren was too young at the time to remember those days with her grandfather!
At first, he kept his plan to himself, but he eventually revealed it to Ren’s parents. Still, they had no idea how meaningful it would be when the time came.
Fading Memories
As you can imagine, these early days where Ren spent all her time with her grandfather caused a strong bond to develop between them and he was adamant not to let it fade. He loved his granddaughter more than anyone else.
He knew that in a couple of years she would grow up and memories of her as a toddler would be distant, but he decided to start working on the gift then, one that he knew would change her life forever.
Finding the Perfect Moment
The one question left for Ren’s grandfather was when the perfect time would be to present her with the life-changing gift. His options were when she turned 16, 21, or even after he passed away.
As time went by and Ron spent more and more time with his granddaughter, the gift he was working on became the most important thing in his life.
He ultimately decided to give the gift when she could prove something equally valuable to him as the gift would be to her.
Slowly Coming Together
Ron Petrillo said of his granddaughter, “I thought if she was straightened out and being a good person and being nice to people that was important,” and as he saw her blossom into the fine young woman she is today, he came to a decision.
He would present her with the gift when he was still alive as he wished for them to experience the life-changing moment together.
Sentimental Value
He figured that the gift was meant to be both sentimental, and heart-warming, so giving it after he had passed away would mean it contained an element of sadness, and that was not what he wished.
The main goal of the gift was to warm his granddaughters’ heart, just as she had warmed his heart her whole life.
He also wished to see her reaction to a gift that had memorabilia that even she would not remember as she was too young at the time!
The Long Term
The process was a long one, as he worked on the gift for a whopping decade since she was under his care as a toddler. Although once she grew up his work on the gift was more infrequent, it continues over the years.
It was a project that in some ways, fuelled his elder years and gave him something important to concentrate on.
Very soon the family would understand what was so unbelievable about the surprise gift that he hid from Ren through all these tears.
The Building Blocks
What exactly did the gift entail? Well, it started out that every day the two spent together when she was young, Ron would sit down and write about their time together.
While it started off simple, the gift turned into a long and tedious project that took up the majority of his time, not too mention had him working viciously on his creative writing ability!
While it seems like a simple idea, it has unique and special qualities and would become a gift that meant far more than any photo album- it allowed her to read and cherish their bond forever.
Cherished Moments
Everyone knows the time spent with your grandparents is invaluable, but very few have the ability to cherish it forever and always.
Building a bond with the elder generation can help grow a strong sense of family, something which not everyone has.
Ron calculated that by the time His granddaughter was 16, he would be the ripe old age of 72. While that isn’t considered too old in today’s age, he did not want to take any chances.
Reaching a Milestone
Although his progress on keeping the gift updated never faded, the question he still had no answer to was when to present the gift. He finally decided the right time would be on her 16th.
Not only would he be able to enjoy it with her, but it was a point in her life where she would be able to cherish it forever.
Coming of Age
Talk about a difference in priorities. Most 16-year olds mark this significant age materialistically, by throwing a huge party and being showered by expensive gifts, as you now understand, that was not the priority for Ren.
Everyone knows that in the USA, Sweet 16 in a way marks the path into adulthood. In Latin communities around the world, 15-years-old is when girls celebrate the Quinceanera, another coming-of-age milestone.
Additional Celebrations
These are not the only ceremonies around the world that mark the start of adulthood. In the Jewish faith, boys celebrate what is called their bar mitzvah at the age of 13 while girls celebrate their coming into womanhood at age 12.
Just where does the Sweet 16 tradition come from? Little did you know it stems from ancient times when at 16, girls were legally able to marry.
It meant something quite different to Ren, and still what would happen at her 16th was beyond her wildest dreams and would go down in history.
An Extra Special Bond
One of the main factors which contributed to the incredibly close bond between Ren and her grandfather was the proximity. Ron lived close enough to his grandchild that he was able to be a stable part of her lift while she grew up.
While everyone knows the increase in technology has helped people overcome their distance, there is nothing that can replace actually being close in distance.
Precious Moments
One of the craziest parts was that her grandfather was able to create this masterpiece right under her nose without her knowing a thing about it!
She was totally oblivious to the fact that she was about to receive a birthday gift that she would treasure for the rest of her life.
As it naturally happens, as Ren grew up, she spent less and less time with her grandfather and more time at school and with friends. There were even moments where h wondered if all his work would ultimately be worth it.
The Perfect Occasion
Finally, after years and years of thought and preparation, Ren’s 16th birthday rolled around in March 2017. Little did she know the miraculous moment for when she received her gift was around the corner!
As you can imagine, at first, she was a bit confused, what was this gift that included a bunch of spiraled notebooks labeled ‘Lauren 1,2 and 3’. Soon it would become clear what this precious gift was.
A Link to the Past
As she received the gift, Ren looked at it quizzically. Just what was so special in these pages? Soon she would understand the amazing gift she had just received.
As she began to explore the pages, she realized this book was addressed to her. It took her a while to browse the pages filled with noted handwritten in pen before she finally grasped what was going on.
The Notebooks
Ren’s grandfather looked on in anticipation, waiting for her reaction as she still tried to fully understand what she held in her hands.
He found it hard not to reveal the full extent of his emotions as the moment came where his granddaughter was finally understanding what this gift meant.
Hi, Lauren
The handwritten was instantly familiar, and the very first page started with the simple words, “ Hi Lauren, I’m just starting this so someday you might read it for fun. It’s going to be a day-to-day record of you and me.”.
Ren’s grandfather had not spared words and had written to full each notebook. He had added letters for each day, and each time they spent together.
The amount of work that went into it was obvious, but even so, he could not have anticipated the tremendous impact it would have on Ren and the entire family.
Revealing His Secret
He had also dated every single entry so Ren could know when the letters were written. The first was dated back to Feb 13, 2003, when the project all began.
Ren was only two-years-old at the time! Even so, what her grandfather had written would shake the ground the family stood on.
One of the main aims her grandfather had when starting writing was to jot down all the memories from those early times together and refresh Ren’s memory of their bonding time later in love.
As she flipped through the pages, she began to remember all those special memories she had since forgotten.
More Than She Knew
It turned out, he was exactly right, and Ren was too young to remember those special moments they experienced together from when she was 2 to 5 years old.
After those times, they had stopped seeing each other as often. But what he had written from when Ren turned five would bring her to tears.
Memories Flood Back
Three entire notebooks were filled from top to bottom with memories from those first three years that he had looked after Ren. It turns out most of these memories Ren was reading for the first time as she had no recollection!
The simple gift was actually not simple at all, it served as a reminder and helped Ren’s forgotten past come flooding back, and with it, a wave of emotion.
See Ya
Ren’s grandfather had been writing for so many years that even he had forgotten some of the earlier memories he had penned down! The notebook served not only as a reminder to her but to Ron too!
One of the early memories was a game she loved to play as a child called ‘see ya’. Like most grandfathers. Ron would do just about anything to bring a smile to his granddaughter’s face.
“He used to do this ‘See Ya’ game, and he would run into the wall over and over and over and I would die,” Ren reminisced. But that wasn’t all.
The Alligator
Amongst the distant memories that flooded back was another special moment.
When Ren’s grandfather took her to a department store and she rode the elevator for the very first time, she was so in awe that she begged her grandfather to ride it up and down for hours!
The adorable two0year old referred to the elevator as the “alligator” making the memory that much more adorable! Reading about this memory was one of the moments Ren became overwhelmed with emotion.
More Gems
These adorable stories where only a few of the very many gems he stored up in the notebooks. Reading through it was a sentimental trip down memory lane that cemented the strong bond she had with her grandfather.
Ren was no longer even trying to contain herself when she read part of the letter that went, “One of your favorite things is for me to push the button on your clock and do my silly dance.
When I say, ‘Lauren do it,’ you sit in your bed and say ‘papa’ and I keep dancing, falling, running into the wall, turning around like an uncoordinated fat ballerina, and you keep laughing.”
The Dwindling Days
Ren was absolutely floored with emotion by the gift she held in her hands. she has no idea that her grandfather was documenting their precious time together in those early years.
The cutest part? Ren’s grandfather was not one of those people that would watch tv while his granddaughter was under his care.
He would always be engaging her in some fun or educational activity, which meant he spent her nap times jotting down all these adorable memories in these notebooks rather than taking the time for himself.
Tugging at Her Heartstrings
The notebooks were and will always be without a doubt the most special gift she has ever received. She finally grasped just how much work went into this project and how precious the gift really was.
Unlike those kids receiving big and expensive gifts for their Sweet 16, what Ren received was a piece of history, one which is invaluable and will be treasured for a lifetime.
The Zoo
Although every page had its own charm, out of the pages that stood out the most were the ones where her grandfather would take her to the zoo. It was because of this that she had grown such a love for animals.
“The rescue zoo — we’d go there every day except Monday when they were closed,” Ren’s grandfather later told Today. “And we’d go look at all the stuff, and then I’d buy her every trinket in the gift shop.”
Just when you think this story couldn’t get more heart-warming, wait till you hear what Ren did with her gift.
A Beautiful Accomplishment
Over the years. Ren’s grandfather had handwritten a total of 184 pages of memories he shared with his beloved granddaughter.
Flipping through the pages, she realized each story was more heart-warming than the next. The journal sadly ended when she turned 5-years-old since that was when she was no longer looked after by her grandfather.
But these also happened to be the years she could barely remember, and what the gift gave her was the gift of memory so she could now recall those special moments together which formed their powerful bond.
Spreading the Love
Ren shared with the world this amazing gift when she posted about it on Twitter and as you can imagine, the post went viral. Who could see this and not be touched by her grandfather’s determination and love?
The gift was so amazing that she vowed to do the same thing when she one day has grandchildren of her own.
“I’ve had so much feedback from other kids my age who say they want to get closer to their grandparents. Or, it’s been a real eye-opener for them to appreciate their grandparents while they are still here. I truly don’t think that I will ever have a gift that is greater than this,” Ren says.
Mindful Saving
As the economy in the USA gets worse and worse, families are forced to find ways to save.
Many parents chose to send their kids to their grandparents for the day rather than spend money on day-care so they could go back to work.
One Thing Leads to Another
Naturally, in families that are as close as Ren’s the grandparents are only too happy to take this one.
Not only does it save money, but it creates incredible bonds between the older and younger generation, as you can see by this heart-warming story.