The Photo Maria's Family Didn't Know They Needed

Maria from Austin, TX had hosted the family Thanksgiving every year. But this time, Grandmother's chair at the head of the table was empty. It had been six months.

The family gathered as usual. The food was the same. The table was set. But when Maria looked at the photos afterward, something was obviously missing. Grandmother's place at the head of the table—where she'd sat for decades—was empty.

"Grandma Rose hosted Thanksgiving at her house for 40 years. She always sat at the head of the table. This was our first year without her." Maria explains. "When I looked at the photos from dinner, her chair was empty. It felt wrong to even keep them."

“Grandma is back at the head of the table. That's where she belongs.”

— Maria, Austin, TX

A cousin mentioned Made To Delight—a service that could add Grandmother into the photo. Maria was curious. She uploaded the Thanksgiving photo and a recent picture of Grandmother.

"I asked them to put her at the head of the table, where she always sat. I wasn't sure what to expect."

Two days later, Maria opened the email. Grandmother was seated at the head of the table, right where she belonged. Maria sent it to the family group chat without saying anything. The responses came in fast.

"My aunt called me the second she saw it. She said it looked exactly like last year, when Grandma was still with us. Everyone wanted a copy."

Maria ordered an 11x14 framed print for her living room. The family ordered their own prints too. Everyone has a copy now.

"It's not about pretending she was there," Maria says. "It's about having a photo that shows where she belongs. At the head of the table, with all of us."