upworthy

seniors

Humor

Grandma goes viral with 3 perfect, hilarious rules for her funeral

We finally know why Bertha's not invited.

Grandma goes viral for her three simple yet hilarious 'funeral rules'
Grandma goes viral for her three simple yet hilarious 'funeral rules'

Forget kids. Grandmas say the darndest things. One grandma in particular took TikTok by storm for her brutally honest, yet hilarious “funeral rules.” And though Grandma Lill adds the caveat that it won’t be anytime soon, you had better remember these rules when the day finally comes. Or there might be two funerals to plan.

95-year-old Grandma Lill is no stranger to the spotlight. Her social media bios all read “I’m a celebrity” and she’s not foolin’ around. She has her own clothing line, YouTube Channel and her name has been uttered by the likes of Jimmy Kimmel and Steve Harvey. She’s basically the internet’s favorite granny.


TikTok · grandma_droniakwww.tiktok.com


But this video takes the cake at a whopping 50 million views. She’s gone full-blown viral now. Probably because she inadvertently brings up some little gems of wisdom we could all apply to dealing with the passing of a loved one.

Or maybe it's just cause she's delightfully cantankerous. Either way, it makes for some wholesome entertainment.

Without further ado, here are those three important rules:

1. Cry. But not too much.

Or, as Grandma Lill puts it, “don’t make a fool of yourself.”

Funerals can be just as much about commemorating as they are expressing grief. We can also share the happy memories we have of those who have passed, not just shed tears.

I think this is what grandma Lill was getting at. Or maybe she just doesn’t like you stealing the attention.

2. Bertha ISN'T invited.

Whoever this Bertha chick is … she messed up. She messed up big time. Bertha, you have been CANCELED.

And hey, why shouldn’t we decide who’s on the invite list for our last big day? If, for example, there’s a family member who caused a lot of pain, or with whom we just didn’t share a kinship … perhaps there doesn’t have to be an obligation to invite them to these major life moments.

Basically, this is your permission slip to openly decline any and all Berthas in your life. That goes for weddings, birthday parties, baby showers … you name it. Don’t let her in!

3. Get drunk afterward.

As long as you take a shot for Grandma Lill.

After the ceremony honors what’s lost, take a moment to let go and move forward with the life that is still around you. Something tells me that letting it all go and celebrating life is something Grandma Lill’s a pro at.

Check out Grandma Lill's 'Funeral Rules' below:

@grandma_droniak

it wont be any time soon but dont forget it #funeral #grandma #rules #dontcry #funeralservices #wake #greenscreen

Thousands of commenters chimed in to celebrate Lill's rules. But the overwhelming sentiment from almost every single one of them was: We need the full story of the beef with Bertha!

Lucky for us, all was revealed two years later when Grandma Lills made a video about attending Bertha's funeral. Bertha had, allegedly, tried to hook up with Lill's late husband. Not cool, Bertha! "I always knew I would outlive her," grandma joked.

In another recent viral video, Lill spoofs popular "Get Ready With Me" videos from other influencers by bringing the viewer along as she gets dressed for a funeral. Of course, funerals aren’t the only topic Grandma Lill can make you laugh about.

Her TikTok channel is a carefully curated gallery of pure funny. Everything from bingo jokes to advice for getting back at your ex (yeah, she shows no mercy) can be found here.


@grandma_droniak

rip arthur. who knows what we could have been

No one likes funerals, least of all the person who's there to be mourned. It's why the idea of the Irish Wake is so popular — a spirited celebration of life that encourages laughter and merriment. Grandma Lills definitely has the right idea about how she wants to go out, and now that it's cemented in Internet lore, her kids and grandkids will be forced to honor her wishes when the day comes.

This article originally appeared three years ago. It has been updated.

From Your Site Articles
grandma
Humor

Senior living TikTok star proves there's life after 80 with hilarious skits

The 85-year-old is responsible for over 4 million views and counting.

commonwealthsl/TikTok

Most creators on TikTok are 18-24 years old, and a good chunk is even younger than that. Social media is definitely a young person's game. 85-year-old Nancy Weatherford never got the memo.

A resident at the Commonwealth Senior Living facility in Danville, Virginia, Nancy recently volunteered to be featured on the center's TikTok page. Over 4 million views later, she's been dubbed the 'TikTok Queen'. And she's exactly the influencer we all need right now.

It started with a funny video of Nancy and her fellow residents dancing to "Pretty Girls Walk" by Big Boss Vette.

@commonwealthsl

Pretty girls walk like this at #CSLStratfordHouse 😍 #seniorlivingcommunity #prettygirlswalk


It was one of Commonwealth's first breakout video, racking up over 12,000 views.

Commenters were obsessed immediately. "I wish more facilities did this. They are so happy," wrote one user.

And then came this hilarious skit of Nancy "interrogating" fellow residents to find out who ate her powdered donuts! This one went over a million, and Commonwealth's follower count began to grow as people started to look forward to the residents' videos.

@commonwealthsl

Don’t eat her powdered donuts #CSLStratfordHouse #welcomehome #seniorlivingcommunity #donuts

All in all, the mini-skits and dance routines put on by Nancy and her fellow Commonwealth residents have racked up over 4 million views.

“We call Nancy our little TikTok queen, because our first one went viral instantly,” Heather Dehart, Sales Director for Commonwealth Senior Living told WDBJ. “Now, we have so many followers, and they look forward to it."

The videos have such an infectious joy. So much of what's found on TikTok and other social media can feel hollow and fake. The videos made by the Commonwealth seniors are as authentic as it gets. Just a group of friends having a blast together, which, by the way, may be having an excellent effect on their physical health.

Bhere's a lot more to the videos than just the laughs and the big view counts.

Generating content for the TikTok account is bringing the residents together and giving them joy — regardless of if the videos go viral or not.

“It gives them something to do. It gives them a purpose. When they have family members call from different states and say, ‘oh my goodness, I saw the fun you‘re having on Tiktok.’ It makes them then ask, ‘when are we doing the next one, because my family wants to know,” said Dehart.

Nancy was, understandably, apprehensive about moving into a senior living community ager her husband passed away. One of the most inspiring aspects of the videos is seeing how at home she and her friends feel there now.

Senior living centers, or nursing homes, don't always have the best reputation. They can be drab, lonely places. Depression is frighteningly common.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

“Being older is fun," Nancy says. "Maybe young people think, ‘ugh,’ but we have a lot of fun, too."

From Your Site Articles
seniors
Family

Touching video shows dad interviewing daughter every first day of school since kindergarten

She's a senior now.

Photo credit: Canva

So much can happen in those first 18 years.

Most parents take a quick photo of their kid’s first day of school each year. It’s a great way to capture how much they’ve grown from year to year, plus in a few years time you’ll have a whole collection of memories to give you a good cry when graduation comes.

But one dad did things a little differently. Instead of a photo, he celebrated each of his daughter’s first days of school with a short record interview.

Now, she’s a senior, and this tradition has come to an end.

In a truly bittersweet video shared to his TikTok, dad Ray Petelin did a quick mash-up of all the interviews with his daughter Elizabeth, spanning from kindergarten to 12th grade.

In only a few short moments, see Elizabeth go from sweet little girl into a young woman. So much change in so little time. Including her career aspirations, which went from doctor, teacher, magician, waitress, baker and open heart surgeon before finally arriving at physical therapist.

But some things remained the same as well, including Petelin reminding his daughter that “mommy and daddy love you.”

The clip ends with present-day Elizabeth asking her dad “are you gonna cry?”

“No,” Petelin replies, saying once again, “I love you.”

Cut to kindergarten Elizabeth once more, saying in her once teeny tiny voice:

“I love you too. Is the school bus here now?”


@raypetelin I'm so proud of this young woman. #girldad #senioryear #dad ♬ Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole


Ugh! The heartstrings being pulled!

Petelin would later admit that he did, in fact, cry. But after this video, he certainly wasn't the only one.

“Man, if this doesn't make you tear up a bit!”

“We’re all crying, Elizabeth.”

“Have a 7-month old daughter at home and already hitting me in the feels.”

“I’m not a dad but totally shed a tear there, what a fantastic tradition….You should be so proud, thinking of the journey and what’s ahead for her must be emotional for a father.

“The switch from using ‘mommy’ to ‘mom hit so hard 😭😭😭”

“Why yes Elizabeth, he is going to cry, In fact, we are all crying.”

Quite a few folks shared how inspired they were to do their own version of Petelin’s idea.

“This is so perfect, a wonderful ideaI I will keep for my future kids,” one person said.

Another added, “Just in time! My kiddo starts K next week. Thanks for the idea!”

Another person, and fellow dad, wrote, “This is awesome and makes me totally want to do this for my daughter. She’s starting a daycare in a couple weeks. Should I start with that?”

Petelin himself wrote that he “highly recommended” that parents try it out, and “the earlier the better.”

He also had this nugget of insight:

“It’s sad to see them grow up, but exciting to see who they become.”

If you’ve been looking for a sign to celebrate this short sweet life by recording small moments, here it is. Side effects might include sadness, but also profound joy.

From Your Site Articles
fatherhood
Joy

Meals on Wheels launches new initiative in effort to keep seniors and pets together

"I think most people would feed their pets before they feed themselves. So, this helps minimize that from happening."

RDNE Stock Project and Cottonbro Studio|Canva

Meals on Wheels now includes pet food to keep seniors and pets together.

Pets make amazing companions. They not only keep you company but it's been proven that they are great emotional support. Many senior citizens take comfort in having a furry friend around when they're living alone or caregiving for an ailing partner.

But having a pet can become a financial burden that not all elderly people can afford. Instead of doing the unimaginable, giving up their pet, some elderly people will go without eating to make sure their pets have food. Many senior citizens are on a fixed income, causing them to make difficult financial decisions including forgoing important medications and feeding their pets.

Programs like Meals on Wheels make sure that elderly individuals are eating at least one hot meal a day, and it's free of charge. Meals on Wheels is a national program that reduces elderly hunger while also helping to provide elderly people living alone with human contact.

Recently, Meals on Wheels in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, started including an addition to their program–pet food. Elder Services of Berkshire County, which has been providing meals for seniors, teamed up with Berkshire Humane Society and Berkshire Family & Individual Resources (BFAIR) to start a pet assistance program for meal recipients according to iBerkshires.com.

The Berkshire County Meals on Wheels program will deliver pet food once a month to elderly program members who cannot get to the store. Since many of the people that receive meals from the food program are on a fixed income, it's also a probability that some of the members cannot afford pet food even if they could get to the store.

Elder Services Community Services Director Kayla Brown-Wood tells iBerkshire, "I think most people would feed their pets before they feed themselves. So, this helps minimize that from happening. It's just a really great collaboration and the idea is to be able to help those people that might not have the means to come here and visit the emergency pet food bank at Berkshire Humane Society. So, it's just another way to help bridge that gap and that need in the community."

meals on wheels; pet food delivery; meals on wheels and pets; elderly care and pets; pet and elderly care

Black and tan long-coated dog with elderly man

Photo by Donna Cecaci on Unsplash

The national Meals on Wheels organization also helps elderly people keep their pets in the home by partnering with PetSmart Charities. The partnership has "helped more than 25,000 Meals on Wheels clients remain at home and together with their beloved companions," according to the Meals on Wheels website.

They don't stop with helping to provide meals for humans and their pets. Meals on Wheels helps support local programs that provide pet food, grooming services as well as veterinary services to the animals of elderly people who may not be able to afford it otherwise.

Meals on Wheels says, "97% of clients receiving pet assistance say that Meals on Wheels has made it possible for them to keep their loving companion, according to our research with partner PetSmart Charities."

The partnership between Meals on Wheels and PetSmart Charities ensures that the pets of seniors have the things they need, like cat litter, nail trims, free boarding and even transportation to the veterinarian. Pets become part of your family, and with seniors that are homebound, their Meals on Wheels delivery person and their pet may be the only interaction they receive. It's amazing to see that this essential program is not forgetting about the animal companions living with the seniors they serve.

From Your Site Articles
pets
Trending Stories