They just couldn’t believe how lucky they were. She believed that she had just captured the picture-perfect moment. They were only playing dress-up, and her granddaughter spent almost an hour begging to put it on, so what was wrong with putting on a dress for some fun? But they certainly didn’t expect the reaction that they got.
Amy Kavelaras was a native of Columbus, Ohio. Her favorite memories of being a child were spent at her grandma’s for dinner every Sunday. They may not have had much, but they had each other. The days were filled with joy and laughter and one-course meals. They always made the most of what they had, but she never expected that the way she was brought up would have such an impact on her.
When Amy was a child her grandma never seemed to age. Ruth loved life so much that time couldn’t keep her down. Ruth and her husband proved that love was what kept the soul, body, and mind young. During her childhood, Amy believed that her grandparents were a prince and princess. As she grew older, Amy realized that her grandparents couldn’t avoid aging.
Amy took a job opportunity with JetBlue airlines. Ruth was encouraging to Amy, saying that it was an opportunity for her to see the world. Amy would soon see that is was the best decision she ever made, but Amy wanted to give back, as well. She spent the days she had off going to children’s birthday parties dressed up as their favorite princess. If she was able to share a portion of the happiness her grandma had shown her, then she was doing good. It wouldn’t be long before their happiness would take a turn.
As Amy was traveling around the world and pretending to be a princess, she received some horrible news. Amy’s grandfather, Jack, had passed away. As much as Amy’s heart hurt, she couldn’t begin to imagine the pain that Ruth would experience after losing the love of her life. Amy would soon see that Ruth was going to have an extremely difficult time dealing with the loss of her husband.
After her husband died, Ruth’s health began to decline. It seemed like all of the years snuck up on her all of a sudden. It wasn’t long before Ruth decided she was going to move into an assisted living facility. Amy’s heart was heavy, but Ruth told her that she needed to live her own life. There was no need for Amy to worry about her grandmother. But Amy still insisted on helping Ruth pack her things. Soon, they would discover a hidden treasure.
Ruth’s attic was packed full of decorations, toys, photos, suitcases, bags, awards, letters, furniture, pots, pans, trophies, cutlery, plates. There were cobwebs that hid spiders in every single corner. The old wood floor creaked with every step they took. And then, Amy spotted something tucked away in a corner. Behind piles of junk, there was a dust-covered decorative box. Was Ruth hiding something?
People have been known to find outrageous treasures hidden in old attics. Could this be one of those times? Was Ruth hiding a small fortune in the attic? Did she have a box full of rubies or ancient coins? Amy had to know the answer, so she approached Ruth with questions about the box.
Amy asked her grandmother about the box, but Ruth just looked confused. Was there a secret she was hiding? How could someone not know what was in their attic? Amy finally opened the box and discovered Ruth’s wedding dress from 1953. Oddly enough, the dress was still in perfect condition. Neither of them would expect that their fun would cause such chaos.
Time may have affected Ruth mentally and physically, but it hadn’t touched her wedding dress in the slightest. Amy couldn’t believe how beautiful the white lace was and she complimented Ruth on her dress. Ruth didn’t see it as just a dress. To Ruth, it was symbolic of 65 years of marriage. No one ever thought Ruth would react to the death of her husband like this.
Losing the person you love takes a huge toll on a person’s mind, body and heart. Ruth had no idea how to continue living without Jack, which is extremely common for people who lose their spouse. Ruth’s family knew that she would be depressed, but they never thought it would be so hard on her.
When Jack passed away, Ruth became depressed. She repeatedly told her family that she was fine and that she didn’t want any company. Amy didn’t fall for it, though. She began to notice the sadness in Ruth’s eyes, her distant stare; her mind seemed to be lost in another time. But Amy refused to leave Ruth to suffer through her sadness alone.
Amy had to figure out something to help her beloved grandmother get out of her funk. But what could she do to help a person that didn’t want help? Amy began to brainstorm.
It took quite a few months for Ruth to pull herself from the depression. Luckily, Amy was with Ruth as often as possible. Amy constantly asked her to go to the children’s parties with her so Ruth could get out of the house. Amy soon realized that the best thing for Ruth was to be surrounded by happiness, youth, and life. Ruth was finally in a much better place, so Amy had an idea.
It took an hour of begging, but Amy finally convinced her grandmother to try the wedding dress on. It came as a surprise that the wedding dress fit the same way it did 65 years ago! Ruth began to cry as she was overwhelmed with emotion. She was brought back to 1953, as she was patiently waiting to marry her love. It didn’t take long for Amy to start crying, as well.
Ruth looked beautiful, so Amy surely wanted to photograph the moment. Amy got Ruth to hold a framed picture of herself on her wedding day. It had been a rough couple of years, so Amy was extremely proud of Ruth’s bravery. She looked radiant as Amy took the picture. And of course, Amy decided to share the picture of Ruth on Facebook. But she never expected the reaction she received.
The picture of Ruth attracted a lot of attention, but not for the obvious reasons. Of course, there were plenty of comments on how beautiful Ruth looked, but most people could only talk about one thing—the picture—the glass frame—the reflection. Amy’s connection to her grandmother could be seen in the glass—her mother. Did they do it on purpose?
Amy took the picture of her grandmother for her to cherish, but she didn’t mean to get a picture of her mother, as well. People online couldn’t help but debate what the figure actually was. A ghost? A stalker? Amy immediately put an end to the speculation. The internet loved the truth more than the stories their imagination provided.
Once Amy put an end to the conspiracy theories and ghost stories, the photo became popular for the right reasons. Amy enjoyed showing her grandmother how many positive things people were saying about her. Ruth may be older, but her beauty hasn’t faded. And her love was certainly timeless, as well. Amy felt undeniably blessed.
Sometimes, the bond that a child has with a grandparent is stronger than the bond they have with their parents. Typically, grandparents have learned from the mistakes they made as a parent. Even so, grandparents can’t always intervene when they notice their children are making the same parenting mistakes as they did. Grandparents tend to act as the voice of reason when grandchildren won’t listen to their parents, as well. But the benefits of grandchildren certainly outweigh the rest.
Having young children around keeps you physically and mentally fit. There are studies that show keeping grandchildren around can help keep grandparents active and socially engaged. Spending quality time with grandchildren can promote positive health and cognition. Ruth had to take everything else into consideration.
When Jack passed away, Ruth began to think about her own life. Her husband was with her all of the time for almost 65 years! It was devastating for her to wake up only to find that the man she spent most of her life with wasn’t there anymore. It took awhile, but Ruth finally accepted that she had a loving family to keep her from being alone. And there was no one more infatuated with Ruth’s story than Amy.
All of Amy’s friends began to settle down before Amy and she began to fear the worst. Ruth refused to allow Amy to worry about the future. “Whatever will be, will be,” she constantly reminded herself. That quote stuck with Amy throughout the years, but she never thought her time would come. As soon as Amy met Nick, she was infatuated. He loved her, supported her, and always made sure she was okay. Regardless, when Nick asked her to marry him, she was hesitant, so she spoke to her grandmother. “Don’t you think I had my own worries too?” Ruth knew she had to set the story straight.
Ruth lived a life of love. And Amy always saw her grandmother’s life as a fairytale. Ruth needed to tell Amy the truth – Ruth and Jack definitely had their struggles throughout their marriage, and before they got married, they had broken up plenty of times. Ruth encouraged Amy to “take a chance.” So that’s what Amy did, but would it prove to work out for her?
Taking her grandmother’s advice, Amy married Nick. Even though she was nervous and scared, Amy knew that if she didn’t “take a chance,” then she would never find her true happiness. Ruth’s story is one of love and life, but most of her story is about continuing to live when you feel like all hope is lost.