For years, Faye Rogers looked forward to enjoying the seasonal peach milkshake from Chick-fil-A. So much so that she chose to forego cake on her 97th birthday and sipped on the frozen handspun dessert instead.
It would be her last birthday. Rogers passed away in March of this year.
So when Chick-fil-A posted on Facebook on June 13 that peach milkshakes were back on the menu for the summer season, Rogers' granddaughter Beth Ann Smith couldn't help but share her grandmother's story in the comments, and noted that she would be drinking as many as she could in her honor.
Chick-fil-A responded to Smith's comment asking her to DM them for a surprise.
The Morristown, Tennessee, resident went ahead and messaged the company and shared a photo of her grandmother enjoying what would be one of her last peach milkshakes. The company messaged back, thanking her for sharing the story, and asked Smith for her email and home address.
A day or two later, Smith received credits for two free milkshakes in the Chick-fil-A mobile ordering app. She told NBC she was grateful for the sweet gesture as one of her children was undergoing treatment in the hospital during that time.
A few days later, Smith came from the hospital to swap places with her husband and spend time with her other children when a package arrived from Chick-fil-A.
Inside the box was a hand-written note, an ice cream keychain, a mug, more milkshake voucher cards and a beautiful peach-colored frame with a photo of Smith's grandmother drinking her peach milkshake.
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Smith was "stunned."
"The fact that somebody was thoughtful enough to send me something so personal that they obviously had to go out of their way to get for me....was an encouragement and a surprise," Smith said. "And a validation of the way my family feels about my grandmother."
Chick-fil-A confirmed the gift came from their corporate headquarters after seeing Smith's "heartwarming" post.
Smith now displays the framed picture in her living room.
While the freebies were nice, Smith says what touched her the most was how it reminded her of a saying her grandmother lived by -- "Today, invest in someone else's happiness."
"It's obvious that whoever saw my post at Chick-fil-A was willing to invest in my happiness," Smith said.
Smith's Facebook post about the interaction with the company has been shared nearly 20,000 times and has been liked by more than 40,000 people.
"I absolutely will not be able to pass a Chick-fil-A without having a huge grin on my face and feeling so thankful," Smith said.
