Dad Says So Many Parents Are Alive Because Their Kids Are – 'You Don't Know How Much Your Little Hugs Saved Me'
The ones we bring into this world are often our biggest supporters.
@leesandralove / TikTok; fizkes / Shutterstock via Canva Many parents can agree that their children are one of the main reasons they strive to do better. After all, parents want to give their children the best life possible.
But for one father, he believes that his kids are actually what make life worth living.
A father expressed that his kids have saved his life many times.
In a TikTok video reuploaded by @leesandralove, a father is seen sitting in his car, noticeably deep in thought, before beginning his heart-felt monologue.
“You know, I once heard that many parents are only alive because their kids are,” he began. “When I really sat back and I thought about that, I felt that so deeply.”
At the time, the father felt so moved to look at his own kids and realized how many times “that little hug” from his kids had saved him, or how much their existence has become his reason worth living — all without them even knowing it.
When we're young, there are many things we take for granted, especially when it comes down to the things our parents sacrifice to offer us a better life.
However, at a certain point in our lives, we become more empathetic of our parents, viewing them as people rather than caretakers, and that's when we begin to realize that they aren't perfect.
Photo: Shutterstock / Chay_Tee
It can take becoming an actual parent to understand the decisions our own parents made throughout our youth and, more importantly, to experience what it means to love a child unconditionally.
The father eventually closed the video with one final message: "Truth is, kids save us. For all my real parents out there — that's for you."
Parents in the comments shared how their own kids have helped them through difficult times.
“I’m not a big fan of being alive, but I have a daughter to live for,” one user humbly confessed.
Another commenter revealed that when she experienced a stillbirth with her second child, her eldest daughter had been her biggest supporter. “[She’s] my entire world and if it weren't for her, I wouldn't be here,” she wrote.
Some believe that the father’s message can even apply to children who use their parents as a form of motivation to carry on living. “My mom keeps me going,” a user wrote.
Those of us fortunate enough to have parents and guardians who love us deeply may not realize how much of an impact our words and actions can leave on them. Sometimes, our existence alone is reason enough for a loved one to keep moving forward.
Xiomara Demarchi is a writer based in New York and frequent contributor to YourTango's news and entertainment team.