Lauren Blank didn’t expect much from her family on her sixteenth birthday, but she was given a present that would change her life. He grandfather had spent over a decade creating it, but he didn’t know how Lauren would react. Read on to learn the full story of this epic birthday gift…
Lauren’s Sweet 16
Lauren Blank lives in Keller, Texas with her family. The family is very close, and Lauren always had a special connection with her grandfather, Ron Petrillo…
Ron & Ren
Ron, now 72, and Lauren spent a lot of time together, especially when Lauren (aka Ren) was younger. Ron would come over to babysit whenever he could…
Family Bonding
They liked to go to the zoo, spend time at the park, or just enjoy being together. Every moment was a special moment. Time flies, and soon, Ren was all grown up…
Ron’s Idea
Ron didn’t have to struggle to think of the perfect gift, as he had secretly been creating a gift for Lauren since the day she was born. The gift was nearly complete too…
The Start of Something
Ron came up with the idea one day while babysitting little Ren. He was worried that he would forget all their fond memories. He decided to memorialize these moments…
Holding A Memory
In 2003, Ron had an idea. Maybe there was a way to give Lauren the gift of memory, something she could hold on to forever. He decided to start writing…
Writing It Out
He began chronicling Ren’s life from the time she was born in notebooks. One day, when she was older, she’d be able to look back on their time together from her grandfather’s perspective…
The First Entry
His first page had to be perfect. He wrote “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.” But it wasn’t done overnight…
Slow Going
Over the course of several years, the grandfather wrote to his granddaughter every day. He chronicled every laugh and cry they had together, but he wanted to be sure she’d appreciate it…
Timing Is Everything
After some deliberation, Ron decided to give Ren the gift when she was still young. Sweet 16 seemed like a perfect time, but he had some alternate options as well…
Pick One
“I had three dates in mind– I had 16, 21 and then when I was gone. I thought if she was straightened out and being a good person and being nice to people that was important. So I decided to give it to her on her 16th birthday,” Ron said of the timing. But how would she react?
Giving the Gift
Ren was ecstatic to receive the notebooks. She was so moved that her grandfather had put so much thought and love into her sweet sixteen presents. She unlocked so many memories…
“See Ya!”
One of the memories Ron held onto was the “See ya!” game he had played with his granddaughter. Something she had long since forgotten about, but reading the pages, the memories came flooding back…
It All Comes Back
Describing the game, Lauren says “He would run into the wall over and over and over and I would die.” There were even more special moments…
Gator Game
Another hidden memory was the “gator game” the two played together, where Ren rode on the ‘alligator’ at a local store. But it was different than you’d expect…
Ups and Downs
Ron clarified that “When Lauren discovered this one elevator we would have to go up and down again in what she called an ‘alligator.'” It was easy to explain…
Repeating Repetition
“When you’re little,” she says “you do the same thing over and over again.” That kind of repetition created fond memories for them both, memories that they hold dear to their hearts…
Zoo Pals
Another piece of the pages was their time at the local zoo. “The rescue zoo — we’d go there every day except Monday when they were closed,” Ron recalled in an interview…
Shopping Spree
At the zoo and everywhere else, Ron made sure his granddaughter was spoiled. “We’d go look at all the stuff, and then I’d buy her every trinket in the gift shop.” The bond was evident in the notebooks, but he didn’t chronicle forever…
Ending the Books
Ron decided to stop the notebooks once Ren turned five. After that, she started going to school and was creating memories with others. They weren’t together 24/7 anymore.
Linda and Sierra
Ron and Ren unlocked old memories, but another grandparent-grandchild duo created new memories. Linda Merill and her granddaughter Sierra Sessions were very close...
Rock n’ Roll Grandma
The Salt Lake City natives have always been joined at the hip. Sierra describes her grandma as “super rock ‘n’ roll”. It makes their bond that much more special…
Moving In
In her 20s, Sessions moved in with Merrill during her self proclaimed “angsty teen phase,” leaving behind her Utah town of Toquerville. When she moved out, things changed…
A Hard Time
“It probably wasn’t the best time,” said Sessions about this era of her life “but now we’re closer than ever.” And it’s all thanks to their special communication…
Shameless Selfie
The two became even closer when Sierra moved out by exchanging selfies over text, accompanied by little updates on their day. What a sweet way to come together…
Long Distance Love
The two exchanged these photos for months. Each text conversation ended with the same phrase: “I love you!” The duo was bound to go viral…
Going Viral
On her Twitter account, “My grandma sends me these every day. She is the purest thing on the earth and we have to protect her at all costs.” People loved the pictures…
Grandma Giggling
Linda’s response to going viral was extremely positive. Sierra’s posted a photo of their conversation on her account. “How does it feel to be internet famous?” she asked. “Well geez, I’ve just been giggling all day!” Merrill responded…
Appreciate Every Moment
“It makes me appreciate every day I get to spend with her because you never know when they’re going to be gone.” Sessions said of her time with her grandmother. She’s grateful for everything…
Change for No One
Sessions said the texts have positively impacted her body image too. Merrill doesn’t care how she looks in the photos she sends. “Now, I always post videos or photos of me without makeup or looking haggard, and I don’t worry about it.” said Sessions.
No Filter Needed
“She’s had a pretty crazy life, and there’s not much you can say that’s going to surprise her,” said Sessions. Talking to her grandma always gives her a good outside perspective…
Appreciate What You Have
Sessions said that people should appreciate their time with grandparents while they still can, and be open to hearing their stories. Or, if you’re more like Ron and Ren, be open to telling them…