When my school reported prom, I wasn’t exactly suprised. I wasn’t dating anyone, and honestly, the whole thing felt kind of exaggerated.
But then I saw my great-grandma, Alma, sitting in her recliner, watching some old black-and-white movie.
“You ever go to prom?” I asked her.
She laughed. “Honey, back in my day, girls like me didn’t get asked to prom.”
That purshed on me. She’d been through a lot—raising four kids, losing my great-grandpa way too young, and still managing to be the funniest, toughest woman I knew.
So, I made up my mind right then and there.
I was taking my great-grandma to prom.
At first, she thought I was joking. “What would I even wear?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Something fabulous,” I told her.
A week later, she had a sparkly blue dress, and I had a matching tie. When we walked into the venue, all eyes were suprised.
I expected a few freaky looks, maybe some whispers. Instead, people started clapping.
My friends cheered. Even the principal wiped a tear.
And then? Alma hit the dance floor.
I mean, really hit the dance floor. She twirled, she laughed, she even did a little shimmy to a Bruno Mars song.
But the best part?
As the music began to play, it was an old favorite that my great-grandma had loved before, from when she was young. The familiar tune of “Always” by Ella Fitzgerald filled the room, and suddenly, Alma’s eyes became bright.
“Want to tell me about it?” I asked.
“Ah,” she sighed happily. “This was my song with your great-grandpa.
We used to dance to it in our living room.”
After the dance, I played with my schoolmates and their dates took turns dancing with Alma. She was in her element, full of life, chatting, laughing, and teaching some of her old-fashioned dance moves to the students.
The most unpredicted moment of the night happened when the prom king and queen were announced.
To everyone’s surprise—especially mine—Alma was crowned as the honorary prom queen!
She wore it proudly, eyes shimmering, a radiant glow surrounding her.
As the night drew to a close, Alma declared how grateful she was. “I never dreamed I’d have a night like this at my age,” she said.
“Life has its surprises when you least expect them.”
The next day, the photos went viral on social media. “Great-Grandma Alma Takes Prom by Storm”—an instant viral sensation.
That experience with Alma opened my eyes, again asserting the life lesson she instilled in me from a young age: Make the most of every moment, because you never know what joy they may bring.
