Spending quality time with family is a luxury that not everyone has for many different reasons. In close families, people can start to feel isolated if they are separated from their loved ones for an extended period of time.
This is especially true for grandparents and any elderly family members who live alone.
The past few years were especially hard on senior citizens
Over the past few years, social restrictions were especially hard on senior and elderly populations who were encouraged to isolate and avoid contact with everyone— including their close family and friends.
Grandparents everywhere were dealing with unusual isolation that left them feeling lonely, depressed, and helpless. Loneliness is a crippling experience that can quickly have negative effects on the entire body.
A young woman is sharing her grandpa's story on social media
One woman has gone viral for sharing her grandfather's honest experience with loneliness on TikTok and Instagram.
Megan Elizabeth wasn't expecting so many people to react to her grandpa's messages when she shared them online but it's easy to see why they resonated with people. Viewers immediately felt a sense of compassion for Megan's grandfather.
The grandpa-granddaughter duo have a close relationship
Don't be discouraged, this is a sweet story after all! Megan is one of those lucky people who can say she still has a great relationship with her grandpa.
So it wasn't out of the ordinary when he texted her one day asking if she would like to come over for a sleepover at his house.
Megan's grandfather was having an emotional and lonely week when he called her
Megan's video displays the words "My 92-year-old grandpa called me crying the other day saying he feels lonely and texted me inviting me over for a sleepover."
The clip then features screenshots of text messages that she received from her grandfather. The first message begins with "Hi Megan it's grandpa."
"I haven't been feeling well and miss you"
The grandpa's message continues to ask Megan if she'd like to come over to stay the night at his house because he hadn't been feeling well and admitted he missed his granddaughter.
He concluded the invitation by offering to order food and watch a mystery show when Megan comes over to visit— an offer that's hard to refuse.
Megan always acts on a chance to see her grandpa
Of course, Megan was more than willing to spend the evening with her grandpa. She explains in her TikTok that "His health is declining so I take any opportunity to see him."
She responded to his text reassuring him that she would love to come over and would be there around 7. She then offered to pick him something up for dinner.
He had a couple of specific requests for Megan to pick up from the grocery store
Megan's grandpa was ready with a couple of age-appropriate snack requests for their hang out which she was happy to track down.
The snacks included Apple Sauce with cinnamon and mashed potatoes that would be easy to eat "because I have no teeth" he joked. She agreed and responded with "Okay! I will see you soon" followed by a pink heart emoji.
It's easy to be the favorite grandchild when you're the only one
The grandfather ended the conversation by writing "Thank you. You are my favorite granddaughter." A caption from Megan then appears on the screen to explain "I'm his only granddaughter" with a laughing emoji.
Before he said goodbye, the grandpa snuck one final request into the message for Megan: "Can you bring me strawberry ice cream too?"
Megan delivered on her promise
Not long after, Megan showed up at her grandpa's front door with the bag of goods she had collected for him.
The two then sat, ate their snacks and treats, and watched their murder mystery show as promised. Megan continued to take a few pictures and videos of their hangout and shared the clips with the caption "He's my best friend."
Grandpa was happy to get his ice cream and some company
The grandpa looks content in his red plaid robe and matching pajama bottoms, relaxed in a rocking chair, and holding up his strawberry ice cream cone.
In classic grandpa fashion, he has a bit of an ice cream goatee on his chin as he poses for the photo. It's clear that for this man, the real treat is getting to spend time with his granddaughter.
He made up a bedroom for Megan the same way he did when she was a child
When the duo finished watching their mystery show and it was time for bed, Megan's grandpa showed her to the bedroom he had made up for her like a proud innkeeper.
He made sure she had water for the night and showed her how he made the bed up with a doll that belonged to her grandma before she passed away.
And of course, he gave her a flashlight for the night
Possibly the best part of the whole guest bedroom set-up was the pocket flashlight Megan's grandpa gave her just in case she got scared in the night.
She reminisced about how staying at her grandpa's house "brings back so many good memories from my childhood" before adding "I love my grandpa so much."
He never misses a chance to wake up early and say goodbye
In a follow-up video captioned "I don't deserve him" Megan explains that she wakes up early in the morning to leave for work. Even though her shift starts at 5:30 AM, her grandpa never misses the chance to say goodbye.
In a video, Megan shows the elderly gentleman standing under a glowing porch light at the front door before the sun has risen to wave goodbye to his only granddaughter.
The family's grandmother recently passed away
After the original clip went viral, @meganelizabeth1016 shared some more of the family's backstory on Instagram to offer her followers more context.
Megan's grandmother lost her battle with Alzheimer's a few years back and it majorly impacted the family as a whole. However, the grandmother's death hit Megan's grandpa especially hard and he struggled to come to terms with losing his life partner.
They have a few family traditions focused on the Christmas tree
Megan's family practices special traditions to keep the grandmother's memory alive. Her grandma loved Christmas trees so the family decorates a tree that was planted in her memory each year.
Megan also has a tattoo of a Christmas tree she enjoys "decorating" each year with sticker jewels to commemorate her grandmother.
Commenters were emotional after watching the videos
People online were moved by the emotional story and strong bond between Megan and her grandpa. Users on multiple platforms left thousands of likes and comments on her videos to let her know.
Commenters from around the world were touched by Megan's story and wished they still had the opportunity to share similar experiences with their grandparents.
People advised Megan to cherish her time with her grandpa
Most commenters were eager to remind Megan that "time is fleeting" and she should soak up all the time she can with her grandpa while he's here. However, it certainly doesn't seem like Megan is wasting any time.
She continues to update viewers on how her grandfather is doing by sharing regular video clips about the activities they do together.
The story brought viewers to tears
Megan's story had commenters feeling teary after watching the videos especially if they were grieving the loss of a grandparent— a sad reality that we all have to deal with eventually.
The young woman also received lots of praise for taking time to spend with her aging grandfather while his health is in decline.
Grandparents can have a major impact on our lives if we are lucky enough to know them
Some users shared how their grandparents had a significant impact on their lives by stepping into the roles of caregivers and parent figures.
Megan's videos have resonated with so many people because the clips portray a reality that social media doesn't often see— but one that we all know from our own lives. Aging is challenging especially when our grandparents have to navigate it alone.
"Don't take grandparents for granted"
The consensus in the comments sections across Megan's videos is easy to see: the people we love are gone too soon.
It's worth cherishing every moment we have with our parents and grandparents because we never know when our precious time will run out. Megan and her grandpa's story is a great reminder of how our bonds keep us going in life.
