Grandpa Surprising His 11 Grandkids With Matching ‘Corny’ Christmas Gifts Caused One Woman To Have An Emotional Breakdown
“I want a genuinely lovey-dovey family with traditions and corny memories."
Dean Drobot / Shutterstock Corny presents and gag gifts are inevitable when you spend the holiday season with loved ones.
Although some of the gifts will be ridiculously cheesy and you will probably never look at them again after unwrapping them Christmas morning, there are so many people out there who would kill to receive the corniest gifts from family members. It means that there are people out there who love you enough to spend a few extra bucks on something they know will make you laugh.
One New Jersey grandfather did just that by surprising his 11 grandchildren with an adorably cheesy Christmas gift that allowed them to show off their awesome grandpa!
The grandfather bought his grandchildren matching Crocs along with a pendant of his face.
Eighty-seven-year-old Liam Ryan may have hit the Christmas gift jackpot this year after surprising his 11 grandchildren — who are between the ages of 24 and 4 — all with their own pair of Crocs shoes.
His grandchildren were already howling with laughter and excitement after opening the array of colored crocs, but their grandpa wasn’t done. He handed out a smaller wrapped package to each family member and inside was a pendant with a photo of their grandfather to wear on their new shoes. All of them were clearly pleased with their gifts, loudly laughing and putting them on immediately to show off.
Even more special was the look of pure joy on their grandfather’s face, which they will surely never forget.
Commenters were deeply moved by the grandfather’s creative and thoughtful gift idea.
“This is elite gift giving,” one TikTok user commented.
“These would be the only pair of Crocs I would ever wear!” another user shared.
“I would cherish this gift forever. He’s a special kind of grandpa. Too cute!” a third user wrote.
While the grandfather’s gift idea brought tears of joy to most of our eyes, one woman broke down about the reality of her own holiday season after seeing the video.
The woman expressed her desire to have a family as close as this grandfather and his grandkids obviously are.
“I do not envy people ever, really. But when it comes to the way that people’s loved ones treat them, and they just appreciate them…” the tearful woman began to say before her voice trailed off, overcome with emotion.
She admitted that the grandfather’s gift to his grandchildren caused her to have an “emotional breakdown,” as she reflected on her own family. “I want a genuinely lovey-dovey family with traditions and corny memories,” she wrote in the caption of her TikTok video that depicted the aftermath of her breakdown as she sat alone in her car.
Others online resonated with her feelings, agreeing that holiday season can be difficult for some.
“I’m so happy for people with big, happy, obviously loving families — but it does trigger a bit when you come from dysfunction. It’s all I ever wanted,” one TikTok user admitted.
“I understand. This season makes me sad for the missing love and support myself and kids don’t have,” another user added.
“Both me and my husband's parents have passed," another shared. "My kids will never know grandparents and I grieve that hard this time of year."
While watching families open corny gifts from one another and share a laugh can bring a smile to your face, if you have lost loved ones or are estranged from your family, it is a painful reminder of the traditions you may never partake in. Not all families have positive dynamics, and the holidays can be an especially challenging time.
Even for those who have not experienced a loss, financial strain, health issues, or work or academic stress may prevent them from being able to purchase the corny gifts of their dreams for their family members. It's essential to recognize and respect that people have unique experiences during the holidays, and not everyone finds this time of year joyous.
If you know someone who often does not receive or cannot give gifts to others, gifting them one of the cheesiest items you can find might bring them a little extra happiness and holiday cheer. They may never use it, but they will look at it more often than we think and be reminded that there is someone out there who loves them enough to make them laugh.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.