85-year-old grandma gets nostalgic upon finding high school sweetheart's note she saved for decades

Very few people make a lasting impression in our lives and our first love is one among them. An 85-year-old caught the internet's attention recently while taking a trip down memory lane after seeing her high school sweetheart's love note. Betty and Barb are two sisters who go by @betty.barb on TikTok and are popular for their hilarious shenanigans. Betty's grandson, Bryan Shutts, often posts videos about the two elderly women's lifestyle, words of wisdom and even some antics. Earlier this August, Shutts stumbled upon an old letter Betty had been saving for decades and its contents are truly wholesome.

Shutts found the handwritten note along with a picture of a young man in a suit in a box containing Betty's old pictures. The note read, "Dear Betty, I would like to go out with you sometime if you don't mind. I don't know where we will go because I don't have a car. That is why I haven't asked you sooner. Love, Don." The humble man added in the end that he was awaiting Betty's answer. Betty was married to Shutts' grandfather Ralph for 57 years before he passed away. "In my mind, he was the only man in my grandmother's life, entirely. The thought of another man courting Betty was something I never even thought about. But when I read the note and saw his picture, it brought me a lot of joy for her. She kept it for a reason, right?" Shutts told Newsweek.

With people asking the grandson to ask Betty about this love note, Shutts posted a follow-up video. Seeing the decades-old note, Betty said, "Oh! I still got that. That's Don Smith. He wrote me this note when I was a freshman in high school." The octogenarian wanted her grandson to read the note and when he did, she seemed to be mouthing the same words simultaneously. It looks like she never forgot her high school sweetheart. After reading the letter, Shutts asked his grandma if she ever went out with Don Smith and she replied that she did.

But the young love didn't last long. Betty recalled that Smith was a redhead and added, "My mother said she wasn't going to have any redheaded grandchildren." Shutts told the outlet, "Going through these photos that I have never seen before helped me see a side of Betty that was different than the grandmother I have always known. She really was beautiful, and I can see why Don wanted to take her on a date." Betty saving this adorable love note she received when she was 14 shows how much she cherished those memories in her life. 

This video garnered nearly 350K views and melted hearts on the internet. "She remembered what he said. She moved her lips as he read it back to her," said @marifer_lamariposa. "I have to keep my memories. They helped make me who I am. Just as you should hold tight to your life, it goes by fast. When you realize just how much you meant to people throughout your life, it matters," chimed in @cindysmith861. "It was genuine and sweet. Of course, she kept it. He may have been her first love. So sweet," added @tenaoneal6.

You can follow Betty and Barb (@betty.barb) on TikTok for more hilarious content.