I Took My 89-Year-Old Great-Grandma to Prom—and She Stole the Spotlight
Prom season usually means limos, corsages, and Instagram stories. But for me, it became something far more unforgettable.
I’m Riley. While my classmates buzzed with excitement about dresses and afterparties, I barely looked up from my phone. I wasn’t interested in picture-perfect nights. My world revolved around school, texts, and caring for my great-grandmother, Alma—a woman whose quiet resilience shaped my life more than any textbook ever could.
At 89, Alma carried herself with grace and strength. Her silver hair was always neatly pinned, her favorite shawl draped over her shoulders. She had lived through the Great Depression, raised four kids on her own, and worked long hours in diners and on cleaning crews to keep her family afloat. Even now, she sewed quilts for shelters and handed out candy to neighborhood kids, her laughter filling our home like music.
One afternoon, as we watched an old black-and-white film filled with ballgowns and slow dancing, I asked her, “Grandma, did you ever go to prom?”
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