This story is deeply moving—a beautiful portrayal of love, family, and the powerful choice that defines our bonds. Grandma Patty’s gentle yet profound way of teaching life’s lessons, through simple, magical moments like their sidewalk adventures or cookie-baking sessions, builds such a vivid picture of her warmth and wisdom. Her final message, hidden behind the headstone photo, feels like the ultimate act of love—a treasure hunt to pass down the legacy of chosen family and intentional love.
The reveal of the adoption adds layers to her love story with Hailey and Elizabeth, showing that family isn’t merely formed by blood but by a thousand moments of choosing each other. Grandma Patty’s line about real love never ending but simply changing shape resonates perfectly with the story’s theme, giving Hailey and her mother both a final gift of clarity and belonging.
The cardinal as a symbol of her spirit and presence is such a beautiful touch, too, tying together memory, loss, and a sense of Grandma’s lasting presence. And through it all, the rituals and phrases they continue in her memory underscore the depth of her influence, even after her passing. The piece overall is such a tender, profound exploration of legacy, grief, and love that goes beyond life itself.
20 Prom Photos That Show What Graduates Looked Like When Phones Still Had Wires
Prom is an opportunity to feel like a real princess. Many girls prepare for it as if it were their wedding, choosing a special dress, makeup, and hairstyle long before the event. We think it’d be fun to see how graduates of different eras from around the world looked during their prom.
“My mom and the prom dress my grandmother made, 1965”
“Here’s my grandmother in the prom dress her mother made for her. This photo was probably taken in or around 1953.”
“My aunt and uncle at their prom, 1971 — she still looks amazing.”
“Prom 1959 to 2022: Grandma is still serving looks.”
“My parents at prom in 1992”
“Rocking into prom (1988)! I still laugh when looking at this photo.”
“My grandma, posing in her homemade prom dress in the mid-1940s”
“My mom and dad at their prom, 1986 — I will always want her dress.”
“My great-grandmother at her high school prom, I believe it was 1948.”
“My prom in 1993: the helmet hair, the sequins, the black pumps, the press-on nails”
“My grandma winning prom queen, May 1957”
“My grandmother’s senior prom photo, early 1960s”
“My grandparents at their prom (late 1940s) and on their wedding day (1950)”
“That time in 1989 when I was short and had a mullet, and my buddy took a soap star to prom.”
“My grandma, ready for prom, 1959 — she actually made that dress.”
“My mom’s prom, 1976”
“My grandparents at their senior prom in 1958 — I think they look so sharp!”
“Big hair prom, 1988 — thank gosh my hair didn’t catch on fire. It was so flammable!”
“My nana’s prom picture, circa 1942 — I inherited her lovely ginger locks.”
“My mom at her prom in 1973”
Speaking of the last century, we decided to recall what was happening back in 1989, when the Internet had just been invented
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