'You forgot me': A dad’s emotional surprise for his moving daughters left the internet in tears

For any parent, watching your children move away to start a new chapter is one of life's most bittersweet moments. In a heartwarming viral video from June 2024, one father facing this exact moment decided a simple goodbye just wasn't enough.

The video, shared on TikTok by his daughter Brittney Swanzer (@brittneyswanzer), captures the emotional scene as she and her sister prepared to leave their family home in Ohio for a new life in California. Their father is already overcome with emotion, struggling to say goodbye.

But just as the final, tearful farewells are about to happen, he walks out of the house with a large suitcase in hand. Through his sobs, he delivers three simple, heartbreaking words: “You forgot me.”

Instead of just watching them drive away, he had packed his bags to join them on the cross-country road trip to help them get settled. The sisters immediately break down in tears, embracing their dad in a tight hug. The on-screen text perfectly sums up the beautiful surprise: "When you and your sister are moving from Ohio to California and you think you’re saying ‘bye’ to your dad, but he surprises you with ‘You are missing something… me’ and ends up driving with you."

Two young women packing up for collegeCanva

The Internet's Reaction

The video quickly went viral, with thousands of viewers touched by the father's profound act of love. Parents and children alike flooded the comments with emotional responses.

One father, @gymboi89, wrote, "As a father of two daughters, I felt those emotions quickly. Lord, please keep them safe out there!"

Father and daughter hugCanva

Another user, @arianna_luvv, shared a similar memory: "When I moved out, my dad cried like I had never seen before... Every time we talked, he would ask where I was."

The poignant moment also resonated with those who wished for that kind of parental support. “I'd give my right kidney just to have a dad or a parent who loves me like that,” wrote @inordinary_thinking23.

Of course, the internet also found humor in the sweet gesture, with @hannahgaston8 quipping, "Cancel everything. Nobody is moving away... He just gained 1000 more daughters."

Goodbyes are never easy, but this father’s beautiful gesture showed that a parent's love isn't something you leave behind—it's something you take with you, sometimes quite literally.

This article originally appeared earlier this year.