Woman couldn't ignore lonely 97-year-old who looked like her grandma — took her to lunch at Wendy's

Retirement and old age bring a slowed-down approach to life — no setting alarms or hustling for money — but it has its own downsides. This age also brings you to a situation where you can only live off your savings or social security checks from the government, and fulfill all your requirements within the limited budget. When Estrella — who goes by the username @estrellaq95 on TikTok — was driving through a road, she spotted an old lady, running errands on her own, living off the money provided by the government, and making ends meet, somehow. Estrella did something absolutely generous for her, and now they are best friends.

It was a hot, sunny afternoon when the Miami-based entrepreneur and content creator, Estrella, was driving down the street and spotted a 97-year-old lady using a walker. When she saw her waiting for a bus at the local bus stop, her empathy pushed her to give the lady a car ride home — and thus, a beautiful friendship began. When she realized that the lady hadn’t eaten anything, she bought her lunch from Wendy’s, to which she replied that she could not afford it. So, Estrella insisted that it was on her. She also realized that most of her social security money goes into paying rent and other bills, which makes her keep a strict “budget” for food.

The more they talked, the more they learnt about their similarities — both of them hailed from Nicaragua, and the lady and Estrella’s late father were both born in Leon. Estrella felt a strange connection towards her, as if she were her own grandmother, and believed that bumping into her was all planned — she even set up a GoFundMe profile so people could donate money to help keep her well-fed. When the lady expressed how lonely life had gotten for her due to nobody being around, Estrella offered her friendship.

A kind gesture towards an old stranger may not be a big deal for us — but to them, it could mean their whole world. A study by Kajori Banerjee and others talks about the financial struggles among the elderly with limited savings or social security money; they have to live on budgets, just like the old lady. This often leaves them with a very limited sum to pay for food, leading to malnourishment. Highlighting one of the main reasons why the elderly suffer financially — loneliness — a study by Olujoke A. Fakoya states that over 50% of people aged above 60 are at risk of feeling social isolation. However, another study by David McDaid suggests that this issue can be fought with communal support and building social connections, very similar to what Estrella did for the lady.

After watching the wholesome video, many viewers commented with their feelings. @undefinednatalie expressed, “I’m crying! Oh My God to be in this world alone at 97, we need more kindness in this world bruh,” while @thetimeisnow_riseup wrote a wholesome comment, “This just reminds me of the red string theory. You were meant to find this woman; you were there at the right time. I’m just so happy of your kindness.” @estefx33 made a wish for Estrella, “May the kindness you put into the world returns to you tenfold,” and @dejesuscobos3 wrote, "Aww I’m crying, I work with older folks all the time and they are so lonely so I try my best on connecting and communicating, and they become so happy everytime they see me.”

You can follow Estrella (@estrellaq95) on TikTok for more wholesome content.