Happy Friday: Gifts of Love are Priceless
Sent from reader, Sarah:
Many of us struggle with what to purchase for elderly parents or grandparents, as they seem to “have everything”. It gets especially hard if they are in assisted living and don’t have the space for knick-knacks, etc…
For several years, my cousins and I have all chipped in to get Grandma a “Candy of the Month” or “Fruit of the Month” for her birthday and Mother’s Day so that she gets special deliveries year round. However, this past May, we wanted to do something different and we all agreed (14 grandchildren) to take an upcoming week to send her handwritten letters letting her know how much we loved her. That way, she would be receiving special mail at least once per week from one of us.
She had been a champion letter-writer for so long, sending mail and care packages while we were in college, or newlyweds, and never forgetting a birthday of a grandchild or great-grandchild. She loved it! Sadly, Grandma had a stroke and died in July. We are all so glad that most of us were able to get our letters to her and tell her what she meant to us before she was gone, as most of us have special handwritten letters from her, letting us know how much we meant to her. The letters she sent really gave a sense of peace about losing her, and let us keep a piece of her.
Just a reminder that gifts don’t need to be expensive or fancy — they just need a piece of ourselves to show love.
HAPPY FRIDAY!
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So very awesome. Thanks for sharing this powerfully beautiful reminder.
This post really touches my heart as I just lost my grandma the end
So sorry about the loss of your beloved grandmother….such an important reminder that the most important thing about a gift is that it comes from the heart
What a wonderful blessing you gave her! She knew she was loved. So sorry for your loss.
Love!! ❤️❤️
Thanks for sharing Sarah & Collin! My grandmother will be 93 in a few months and I think this would be a fantastic idea. Some of our fam lives far away and she has never missed a birthday card. This will be a perfect gift!!
Wow! What a great way to show love towards an lovely lady.
This post really touches my heart as I just lost my Grandma the end of June. She was so special to us and she never made a fuss about material things. I, along with my sister and cousins made a point to visit her regularly and just spend real quality time with her, talking and enjoying each other. Since she passed, I have cherished the cards and letters she had written to me since I was a little girl. I never knew they would be so precious to me. It is a special piece of her I will have forever. Thank you for sharing this. ❤️
That was a very awesome story. So sorry to hear about your loss. Life isn’t always about things it about humans being compassionate. It’s amazing in today’s world how people don’t take time to call relatives or friends just to say hi ! As my husband has been ill for over a year so we know how that feels.
♡
This brought tears to my eyes. A lot of us do lose sight of what we should be celebrating on holidays. Thanks for sharing this lovely story and reminding us that sometimes, the best gifts don’t come from the store.
Love this
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing ❤
Beautiful
I so agree. The family letters I have are priceless and things my girls are already talking about that they want. I have letters from my great-great-grandfather who served in the Civil War during the time of Lincoln’s assassination and his words describing the reaction he and his comrades had to this historic event are priceless. My grandma was a wonderful letter-writer and she detailed events from her life including coming to the US from England and riding in the front of the ship, passing the Statue of Liberty, and going through Ellis Island. Letters are such important pieces of family history!
Im sorry for your loss. But what a beautiful thing to do. !
So sorry for your loss. What a beautiful and thoughtful idea for a year long gift!
Great idea for older family and friends. My husband’s great aunt was like a grandma to him so we would always send her gifts at Christmas time. She didn’t drive, but, like many older people, enjoyed remembering the special people in her life. So, for Christmas I would buy one of those huge boxes of assorted greeting cards (usually 30 or so) and a couple books of stamps so she could send cards to her loved ones without needing a ride to the store. It didn’t add too much clutter and it really helped her out. Win win!
Such a great idea. Thank you for sharing and so sorry for your loss
Such a marvelous idea!! ❤️❤️❤️
Love, love, love this!! What a beautiful way to express your love!! Your family sounds amazing! 💗 I always try and encourage my family to have an experience with my kiddos instead of just buy them tangible things but it doesn’t seem to peak there interests☹️
Love this! So sorry for the loss of your grandmother, mine passed away in 2001 and I still miss her terribly! I cherish old birthday cards and handwritten notes that I have from her!
Oh, so sorry about your grandma. Yet so glad she knew she was loved and cherished. Such a sweet idea!
Thanks so much, Collin and everyone! Yes, I am blessed with a fantastic extended family. Grandma, or as we’ve been calling her since the latest generation started showing up, “Grandma Great” would love Hip2Save, as she was a serious bargain shopper!
Thank you for sharing Sarah! Such beautiful memories and a great reminder for me,
Priceless! Love this site, not only saves me time & $$ but keeps me grounded @ times. Thanks for sharing.
What an inspiring idea. Tears in my eyes.
<3
This is wonderful!
Sounds like my husbands grandma! She sends a card for every bday, anniversary and Christmas. She’s 92 and still bakes pies, cakes, or cookies daily. I’m enjoying a pumpkin pie she made for my daughter as I write.
I am so very sorry about your loss Sarah. But I do absolutely love your idea about the letters. I’m an activity director at an assisted living and I’ve seen too often some of our seniors who never get any mail or even a visit from family. And that breaks my heart. But for those who do receive mail-their faces are priceless!! Postcards, letters, surprise packages- they love those! And of course the occasional chocolate 😀. It makes them feel special that someone cares enough to be so thoughtful and send something to them.
Thank you, Sarah, for sharing your photo (so cute! You can feel the love from the photo come out of the screen :)) and your fantastic gift idea! So profound, yet so simple. Thank you! We just had to remind our 12 year old son about the importance of hand writing thank you cards after his recent birthday. I am planning to have him read your post and I am sure it will be a life lesson he will forever remember. Thank you for being part of the village that raises my kids, too!
What a great gift idea! It sounds like she loved it. I’m sorry about the passing of your grandma, but happy that you have such wonderful memories and letters.
❤️
Very touching and you are 100 percent correct. Love and peace to you and your entire family. I still have letters that my mom wrote and although I can’t read them often because it’s so painful, just seeing her handwriting on the envelope makes me feel as though she is still a town away.
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
I love this. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing!
This was such a heartwarming story and I’m so sorry for your loss. My grandmother was like a mother to me and as a mother myself it’s sweeter to get heartfelt items than any material thing.
The best gifts are not bought they are giving of your time. ⏰
❤️
Very touching. The power of the pen. Thank you so much for sharing. I didn’t think that people wrote letter anymore. Your story made me smile.
Sorry for your loss. Thanks for reminding me what is important.
So sweet:)