What is it about a good commercial that can unite so many? It’s marketing genius quite honestly and I would imagine from a creator perspective there’s no greater feeling (professionally) than learning your vision has become an across-the-board home run.

Every Super Bowl or holiday season there seems to be that one ad that has people talking.

In this instance I am of course talking about the brilliant ad “A Holiday to Remember” by Chevrolet. So many elements of the ad are so touching and relatable.

For those who have not yet seen it, I dare not be the spoiler or try to do it justice by my recount. Just do yourself a favor and Google it. Catch the five-minute extended version if you can, as that really tells the beautiful story of true love, family and love of family.

There’s also a pretty cool old suburban as co-star of the ad and if you’re an auto lover like myself, the blue beast will bring a smile as well.

Last weekend as I sat with some friends watching football and enjoying some dinner the topic of this ad came up and prompted the above noted question.

The ad addresses the topic of memory loss in the elderly and while it’s not specific if that’s dementia or Alzheimer’s, one thing is clear: the grandmother in the battle is well loved (and missed) by her family. The ad further examines the bond between a granddaughter and her grandmother, as well as the grandmother and her supportive husband.

It’s just beautiful, as well as touching.

In this chapter of my life, I’ve found myself often times in conversation with friends about the heartbreak this chapter represents that you really can’t understand until you get there. We are now at the age where our contemporaries are experiencing health decline, aging ailments and, yes, even passing suddenly. All this while our own parents are feeling the effects of age and passing as well.

Watching the ad, I thought about how fortunate my children are to not only know both sets of grandparents but have beautiful memories with them as well. Personally, I lost the only grandparent I ever knew when I was nine years old. That void was never filled; however, I was blessed to maintain an equally close relationship with my grandmother’s younger sister. We lost her to age when my son was a baby.

I’m grateful for my bond with both of those women and even though neither of my children new either of them, their stories live on. Stories of homemade bread that everyone raved about, chocolate chip cookies which were a secret recipe until my Great Aunt passed. Good stuff, which should remain not only talked about but celebrated.

Maybe that’s part of what makes a “good/memorable” ad. My marketing days are now so far behind me and the world now so vastly different that the recipe for such escapes me, yet I’m grateful for it.

Watching the YouTube of ‘A Holiday to Remember’ prior to sitting down to pen this, I wept openly at my desk. Recognizing the circle of life, the unknown and the blessing it just all seemed to hit me. Make no mistake I’d seen this ad many times before. There was nothing there that caught me off guard, or did it?

In that moment I recognized the priority my little family truly must make our family. Life has been messy for us the past several years, our focus has become blurred perhaps, however Chevy wiped off the windshield for me. Helped me see what may lie ahead and so we pivot.

As each of us hustle and bustle through the next few weeks, it’s easy to forget how fragile each and every day is in everyone’s life.

Just as the saying goes, the rearview mirror is smaller than the windshield for a reason. Traveling through the holiday season, may we all remain focused on the windshield in front of us and continue to give proper note to what we’ve been blessed with in the rear view.

Thanks Chevy; cheers to a memorable and blessed holiday season.

Teresa Hammond is a staff reporter for The Oakdale Leader, The Riverbank News and The Escalon Times. She may be reached at thammond@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 209-847-3021.