We all need somebody to lean on…
Millions of people are scrolling through Craigslist this holiday season. Everyone’s searching for extra jobs, cheap deals on houses, cars, and just about anything you can think of. Well, just about. How quickly do you think you would tear up when you see an ad titled: Anybody need a grandma for Christmas?
According to reports from KJRH News, a lonely old lady in Tulsa, Oklahoma put herself up on Craigslist this month, looking for a family to spend the holiday with. [1] She wrote that she has no family and would love to be a part of one for the holiday. Her heart-breaking ad read:
I have nobody and would really like to be a part of a family. I can cook and I can cook dinner. I’ll even bring food and gifts for the kids! I HAVE NOBODY AND IT REALLY HURTS! Let me be part of your family.
While there are a lot of bad people out there doing terrible things by taking advantage of others, it’s still not an excuse for cruelty in cyberspace. People were quick to fill her timeline with hateful messages and replies, claiming that she was a fraud who wants to take advantage of some families.
The hatred got to her, and she later deleted the post after thanking her viewers for the “extra shot of pain.”
What could hurt more than being wrongly accused of evil intent when all you want is warmth, family, and love?
Someone got across to her
Amidst all the hatred and disdain, there are still people with kind hearts and open minds out there. Hundreds of people are currently looking to find her and connect with her over the holidays.
Carson Carlock was scrolling through his Craigslist feed when he saw the woman’s ad.
“I saw that post, and I was like, ‘You know that’s really sad,’” Carlock said. [2] The woman’s story reminded him of his mother who’d been alone on her last Christmas. His mother, Gail, had been diagnosed with stage four cancer last year and she was very sick. The woman had loved her grandkids dearly but she was unable to travel from Oklahoma City to Tulsa to be with her family.
Carson tried to travel to be with her, but his car was in really bad shape. She spent her last Christmas alone before she passed away,
“It was really not a good feeling just knowing, hearing her on the phone, and she’s like ‘I’m all alone.’ She would want me to be the kind of person to do this for other people,” Carlock said.
Carlock explained that he was strongly moved to find the lonely woman when she deleted the post after being accused of ill-intent. He posted his own ad, asking the grandma to reach out to him. When he got no response from her, he took things to Facebook.
“I posted it, and it kind of went viral,” he said.
Thousands of people shared the post and so many were willing to have her over for the holidays. Carlock was finally able to get in touch with the woman whose name is Carrie through email. Sadly, Carrie is hesitant about spending Christmas with anyone because of the hurtful messages she received.
Hundreds more people are still trying to get through to her to give her the happy, fun-filled Christmas she deserves.
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