Every birthday (and every day, for that matter) should be a celebration of life. But when you’re turning 98 years old—you’ve got to go BIG in terms of birthday celebrations, and that’s exactly what this grandma did.
Gladys is officially the coolest grandmother around, and she particularly enjoys birthdays. She and her granddaughter got matching tattoos when Gladys turned 95. And for her 100th birthday—they’re thinking skydiving?! Sounds like a blast!
So, naturally turning 98 was a big deal to Gladys and her granddaughter, Shannon Weikley. In order to truly commemorate the milestone, the pair asked photographer Cara Lynn McGilvrey to stage the ultimate birthday photo shoot.
McGilvrey was more than happy to be a part of the big day.
“When your friend asks if you can do a smash cake session for her spunky grandmother’s 98th birthday, YOU DO IT!” McGilvrey wrote on Facebook. “I was head over heels in love with this idea! Gladys was so fun and such a good sport! She is exactly who I want to be when I grow up. We should all aspire to be more like Gladys; young at heart!”
The photo shoot featured Gladys rocking turquoise hair, drinking pink champagne and eating a beautiful ombre cake.
There was also, of course, plenty of balloons, confetti, old photographs and a beautiful sign that read, “Youth is a gift of nature…but age is a work of art.”
Gladys couldn’t be a better living representation of that statement, either!
Since the shoot, the birthday snaps have gained popularity online—for good reason. People can’t get over how amazing this grandma is.
“This is fabulous,” one person wrote in response to the photos on Facebook.
Then there are others saying Gladys is “[their] kinda woman,” because she truly is inspiring.
All in all, it looks like this was an incredible day for this spunky grandma, and we wish everyone’s birthdays may be just as special.
And if your grandparents don’t have big plans for their next birthdays, it may be up to others in their life to make them feel special. This grandson had the right idea when he got a message delivered to his grandmother over the radio. Too sweet!
Happy birthday to Gladys and all of the inspiring grandparents out there!