A simple yet profound message from a 95-year-old British grandmother has touched millions after her granddaughter shared it on TikTok. Christine Symes, a retired teacher from Eastbourne, England, offered heartfelt advice to her granddaughter, Christina, 30, in a video that has since gone viral.
The clip, initially recorded a year earlier, resurfaced when Christina, an artist, stumbled upon it while sorting through old photos. “I just thought (it was) such a nice message,” she said. “Maybe some of my followers and friends might like to see it because I see a lot of negativity online. So I just decided to upload it one evening and didn’t think much of it. But then the next day it just completely blew up.”
Christine Symes, left, with her granddaughter, Christina, in an undated family photo.
In the video, Christine provides a practical yet empowering way to approach life’s challenges: focus on the present and take things step by step. “Look at yourself in the mirror, wash your face, put your makeup on, put your clothes on and then say, ‘What must I do next? I must have a little breakfast,’ or ‘I must have a cup of tea, and then I will start to do this little thing that needs doing,’” Christine said.
“You’re not going to worry about anything else but that at that moment,” she says. “And then when you’ve done that, you think, ‘I’m dressed, I’ve got some makeup on. I’ve done that task it’s taken me two hours or three hours. I need a cup of tea in the cafe and the gallery. I’ll go there and have it. That’s my reward and I deserve it.’”
‘I deserve it because I’ve done those things, and I can take pride in the fact you’ve done them.’ Never mind about what else has happened years ago, what’s going to happen in the future,” Christine told her granddaughter.
Christine’s wisdom struck a chord, especially with those struggling to find motivation. “I’ve had really long messages from people sharing their own experiences or saying, ‘Oh, that’s like advice that my mom or my grandma would’ve given me, but they’re no longer here anymore,’ ” she said. “People have said, ‘Oh, I’ve been depressed for a few weeks and hearing this video made me get out of bed finally.’ And they’re listening to it on repeat every day.”
Christine Symes, left, with her granddaughter, Christina, in an undated family photo.
The advice is deeply personal for Christina, who has battled depression, anxiety, and agoraphobia. A series of life challenges, including the loss of a close relative and the upheaval caused by COVID-19, brought her back to Eastbourne to live with her grandmother.
“She’s basically my best friend and has supported me throughout my life consistently,” Christina said. Her grandmother’s influence has long been a source of strength for Christina, she said. As a child living abroad, Christina would receive audio tapes from her grandmother filled with stories and words of encouragement. Christine pushes aside talk of her viral fame, instead focusing on how she is glad her words helped others.
The now-viral grandmother also notes that it’s “important for people to feel that they matter.“ “And if they’re going through a bad time, they matter more,” she said. “That’s all I would say about that. If anything I’ve ever said actually helped somebody to get up and see the sun shining and saying, ‘I will get dressed today. I will go out, I’ll contact my friend’ — that’s good.”
@christinaandchristine One step at a time ❤️ #motivation #advice #wisdom #inspiration #grandma #mentalhealth #anxiety #depression #agoraphobia ♬ where is my mind (piano version) – your movie soundtrack
