Who you become when you grow up is definitely shaped by the family that you grow up with. We tend to be especially close with our immediate family members, like our grandparents and parents. We hold these types of relationships very close to our hearts, and one young woman from Texas knows how very true that is, especially after receiving an indescribable gift from her grandfather. Grab some tissues, you may need them after reading this one.
As soon as we enter there world, there are certain people who are with you for your whole life. Close relationships with your family bring you comfort, joy, and motivation, that’s why our bond with them is hard to break. Families that choose to stay in contact with one another usually go through an infinite amount of experiences together. It’s fun to do family things together, like vacations, weddings, and graduations, but there’s nothing better than introducing a new member to the family.
Having a solid family unit is vital to a child. It helps them to become resilient, strong children, who then turn into upstanding members of society. One of the best ways to find meaning in life is by learning and growing with loved ones through the good times, and the bad times. The Blank Family has had their fair share of unbelievable memories over the years. But the birth of a very special little girl has certainly been a joy. Look how grown up she is!
Lauren Blank is from Keller, Texas, and has been fortunate enough to have been born into an amazing family. Lauren, who likes to be called Ren, has gone through many things with her family right there with her. Along with promises of new beginnings, Ren just celebrated a very important birthday. She’s so close to graduating and she has even gotten her license. It’s safe to say time is flying by for Ren, but Ren would soon find out that this would be a birthday she’d always remember.
Ren recently turned the big “Sweet 16” and most definitely received plenty of love and gifts. Her friends and family showered her with love on her big day, but there was one member of her family that made it truly exceptional. Since the day Ren was born, she has had a very special connection with a certain family member. Keep reading because there’s nothing in this world sweeter than the relationship between Ren and her favorite family member.
Ren has been incredibly close to her grandfather, Ron Petrillo, ever since she came into the world. Ron is 78 years old and has had a huge hand in raising Ren, which Ren is extremely grateful for. Ron has spent an incredible amount of time with Ren, and some of their most memorable times were during a crucial part of Ren’s life. Since Ron watched Ren grow up so closely, there was literally nothing that he was missing out on.
When Ren was a little girl her grandfather had a huge influence on her life. From the time that Ren was two until she was five, her grandfather was her babysitter. “He has been there for me and has been one of the most influential people in my life,” said Ren. And they didn’t stop being close once she grew up, in fact, her recent birthday was a very special occasion that Ren will surely remember forever.
Since Ren and her grandfather have such a tight bond, it should come as no surprise that he wanted to do something extra special for her big 16th birthday. You won’t believe it when you find out how long the present took to make and how long Ron had to keep it a secret. This gift proves without a doubt that it’s truly the thought that counts. If you’re a grandparent, make sure you’re paying attention, because this gift just upped the ante.
Many grandparents enjoy spoiling the grandchildren with stuff, but Ron wanted to get Ren something that would never be able to be replaced. Ren was given three journals from her grandfather. In them, Ron wrote his favorite memories of spending time with Ren when she was a tiny tot. They’re not exceptional memories, but you can tell by how Ron spoke about Ren, that they were more than significant to him. His love for his granddaughter poured off every page.
On every single page of the journals Ron wrote details of the days they spent together. “The notebooks are just filled with daily things we did. We went to the zoo a lot and flew kites, and throughout the notebooks, he gave me advice,” said Ren. Ron wasn’t always sure when he was going to give the journals to Ren, but the other option was more bittersweet than sweet.
Even though Ron was keeping the journals for many years, he wasn’t sure about when he was going to give them to Ren. He went to Ren’s mother for advice. “Do you want me to give it to her for her 16th birthday or wait until after I pass away?” he asked. Ren’s mother wanted him to give her the notebooks now, so that way they had the memory to share. Ren’s reaction was completely heartwarming.
At first, Ren didn’t know what the books were about, but as soon as she started reading them, she understood all of her grandfather’s hard work. Ren and her entire family were overwhelmed by emotion as she read about their special times together. “He waited so long to give it to me because he just wanted me to understand and appreciate the moments that we had together when I was little,” explained Ren. This incredible gift has stirred up the Internet quite a bit.
Along with pictures of the journals, Ren posted on Twitter, saying, “today for my birthday, my grandpa gave me 3 books filled w stories of each time he hung out w me from the age of 2 to 5. I am speechless.” People have retweeted her photo over 159,000 times and it’s been liked over 596,000 times! Twitter users are blown away by the love Ren’s grandfather has for her. And Ren has absolutely no shame when it comes to sharing the adorable memories in her journals.
“He used to do this ‘See Ya’ game. And he would run into the wall over and over and over and I would die,” remembered Ren. She hasn’t been able to read everything in the journals, yet, but what she has read has made it the best gift she’s ever received. Ren’s grandfather described the cute little games they used to play in such a beautiful way that his words would make you reminisce about your own childhood memories, as well.
“One of your favorite things is for me to push the button on your clock and do my silly dance. When I say ‘Lauren do it,’ you sit in your bed and say ‘Papa’ and I keep dancing, falling, running into the wall, turning around like an uncoordinated fat ballerina, and you keep laughing,” wrote Petrillo in the journal. This grandfather has some pretty amazing advice for all of the other grandparents out there. What he learned from the gift is a gift in itself.
It took years for Ron to make this incredible gift for Ren, and he’s more than happy to be able to relive them with her. “I just want the grandparents that are in their 40s and 50s to know that they can do the same thing. If that’s the only thing that comes out of this then that’s just fine,” he said. Let this be a reminder of how important it is to make time for family!