Emotional Woman Petrified Of Telling Her Mom She’s Been Laid Off Shares Her Surprising Response
Her mom knew just what to say.
Chay_Tee | Shutterstock Getting laid off is scary, especially in our current economy. Suddenly losing your job can make you feel as if everything's crumbling around you, and the uncertainty of the situation can be quite suffocating.
For a content creator named Lanie, she was most afraid of having to break the news to her Korean mom. In a TikTok video, Lanie said she knew it was going to be a hard video call to have with her mom, expecting her to be angry or even disappointed that she was no longer employed, but the mother-daughter moment had a heartwarming twist.
A woman was petrified of telling her mom she'd been laid off but shared her surprising response.
"This is not going to be an easy call," Lanie began in her video. Setting up her laptop to video chat with her mom, Lanie's mom immediately answered, and the two started off by simply catching up. Lanie's mom admitted that she was working at her store but was confused why Lanie had called since it had been a while.
As Lanie tried to find a way to break the news to her mom, she began to tear up, and her mom quickly asked why she was crying. "I really didn't want to tell you this," Lanie started, speaking in their native tongue. "Today, I got laid off from my job."
"I know you're always worrying about how I'm doing and making rent, and I don't want to burden you with more worries," Lanie tearfully confided to her mom. Her mom didn't take long to brush away Lanie's concerns, but Lanie continued on, admitting that she wasn't going to tell her at first. "You can't not tell me this!" Lanie's mom exclaimed, which caused Lanie to chuckle. "Exactly! You're my mom, so I didn't want to tell you."
The woman's mom quickly reassured her that everything was going to be fine.
"Don't cry, you got this!" Lanie's mom said. "You're going to find another job, don't worry." Of course, just like any mom would, she proceeded to ask if Lanie had filed for unemployment with the labor department yet, which Lanie said she had.
Lanie's mom continued, "Mom and Dad have never been worried about your future. We know it will all work out for you." Emotional, Lanie thanked her mom for saying that, insisting that she needed to hear that during a time like this.
Lanie's mom reassured her that she was going to find something else sooner than she realized and pointed out that so many people deal with things like this in their lives.
No one who gets laid off should feel ashamed or try to hide it from loved ones.
Layoffs are nothing to be ashamed of, especially in our current job market. An estimated 1.8 million people were laid off in February 2025 alone.
Kaspars Grinvalds | Canva Pro
Despite how common it is, it doesn't make it feel any less terrifying when it happens to you. Going from a secure income to suddenly having to reevaluate your entire life plan, including budgeting to figuring out how much of your savings can stretch until a new job comes along, can be quite stressful and overwhelming.
But Lanie's mom knew exactly what to say, and the interaction between the two was a reminder that no matter what happens in life, you'll always have family, friends, and other loved ones by your side to help you through any transition. "This is an opportunity for better possibilities to come your way," Lanie's mom insisted. "Catch up on any sleep you've been missing. I bet the flowers in the front of the library have bloomed; go visit the garden! I love you; cheer up!"
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
