Granddaughter Finds A Sweet Surprise In Late Grandma's Diary
In the quiet moments following her grandma's passing, Natalie Carlomagno found solace in an unexpected treasure trove — her childhood books tucked away in the garage. Little did she know, within the pages of an unmarked diary, her grandmother had woven a tapestry of memories that would illuminate their beautiful relationship in ways Natalie had never imagined.
Natalie, a 21-year-old college student in Florida, was wracked with sadness after her beloved 81-year-old maternal grandmother, Susan Bowden, died from cancer in November 2023.
The swift progression of the illness left Natalie and her family with no treatment options — Susan, who also suffered from Alzheimer’s, died less than a month after being diagnosed. To compound the grief, Natalie's grandfather passed away that December. Her grandparents had been married more than 50 years.
Uncovering memories in Grandma's diary
Natalie held tight to the cherished memories of her grandmother. Raised by a single mom, she spent countless moments with the woman she affectionately calls “Nana” as she grew up.
A lot of Natalie’s favorite moments as a youngster were in her grandmother’s new blue BMW. "She'd pick me up from elementary school every day in her car. She always had a pack of strawberry mentos and gave me two for the ride home," Natalie fondly recalls.
The cherished car, the same age as Natalie, was later gifted to her by her grandmother. Natalie keeps a pack of strawberry mentos in it to serve as a reminder of their shared moments.
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As Natalie grew, so did the bond with her grandmother. “We would speak every morning while I waited for the school bus, I’d visit on all my spring breaks in high school and when I went to college in South Florida near my grandparent’s home, I would visit every other week,” Natalie reminisced. “We were very close my entire life.”
Sadly, Natalie never had the chance to bid a personal farewell. While attending a remembrance ceremony for her paternal grandmother who also passed away, Natalie had to say her goodbyes over the phone — a heart-wrenching moment.
A diamond in the rough
As Natalie, her mother, and younger brother began the task of clearing out her grandparent's home, an unexpected urge led Natalie to search for her old Harry Potter book. Venturing into the garage, once home to the blue BMW, she discovered a box filled with her childhood books. Among them, an unmarked book caught her attention. It was a soft-bound beige scrapbook with a tiny pink rose on the cover.
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She opened the book and to her astonishment, it chronicled her life. The very first entry started the night before she was born — May 23, 2002.
Wow, Natalie though to herself as a smile formed on her face, this whole book is about me!
As she flipped through, she came across many heartfelt notes from her Nana: Natalie is one week today and all is well.
One page marked a huge milestone: Today you and I have a secret. You took 6 steps all alone. We can’t tell Mommy or Daddy. They have to be the first ones to see you walk.
Her grandmother longed to have her own mom share in her love of Natalie: Often I wish my mother could get just one look at you. She would just love you to death as we all do.
There was even an entry about their time in the BMW: I let you play with all the lights and pretend like you were driving. You had so much fun.
In sharing her story on social media, Natalie has received an outpouring of messages from grandparents inspired to create similar journals for their grandchildren.
Despite the grief of losing her grandmother, having the diary has provided Natalie with a sense of peace.
"I had no idea that she kept diaries, and I certainly didn't know she kept one about me. I feel that she meant for me to find it,” Natalie says emotionally. “Finding my Nana's diary is all the more special because she hasn’t had any idea who I am for a really long time now. To have all of these incredibly loving and kind words from her is surreal. Thank you, Nana!”
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