Dad's emotional wedding toast praising 'failing' daughter's job as a single mom brings tears

Wedding toasts rarely leave a dry eye in the room. And for TikToker Ariel Hendrix (ariel_hendrixx), two touching speeches from her November 2024 wedding have had happy tears streaming for thousands of viewers. Ariel shared a sentimental video from her recent wedding to her second husband, where her father and sister praised her for her strength and determination for her two children as a single mom.

"This one is for the single moms, the ones who are doing it all alone. The ones who give every piece of themselves and still feel like failures. you’re not alone and you’re doing great, mama," she captioned the video.

The video starts with Ariel sharing a short video of herself wiping away tears before it pans to a clip from her dad's wedding toast. Dressed in a suit, cowboy hat and boots, his strong appearance quickly softens as he starts talking about his daughter.

"She was a natural mother. She took care of those kids, and for most of the time she was the sole provider, and the sole protector, and the sole caregiver. And that's not the way it should be. But she was. And I think she did a darn good job. And as a dad, I couldn't be more proud," he said, stopping multiple times to wipe away tears. "Parenting is the hardest thing in the world to do. It just is. It's often thankless, sleepless, and extremely difficult. And I found it very hard even with a wonderful, incredible spouse. Up until now, this woman has been strong enough to do it herself."

The TikTok video then skips to her sister's speech, and it's just as emotional as her dad's. "She's been a single mom for a few years now, and there is a lot I could say about that time in her life about what a committed mother she is, and how she has always put her children first. Always," her sister shares. "She has done an incredible job raising two extraordinary and gifted little hellions...I think that many people would have thrown in the towel and crumbled under that pressure. I've always looked at you with such an awe. I honestly want to be more like you, and I hope that I'm half the mother that you are someday."

The kind words Ariel's father and family shared touched many single mothers' hearts. "Crying as a single mother. So happy for you ," one TikToker commented. Another wrote, "I've been a single mom for 20 years, my boys are 11 years apart. Having people acknowledge what we do as single moms means the world! Thanks for posting. Your family seems great!"

Many connected with her father's love for her and his vulnerability. "To have a dad that knows and sees you is invaluable. I’m so glad my kids get it because I never did," another TikToker wrote, to which Ariel replied, "It’s truly amazing. I’m so glad i found someone like this for my kids." Another touched TikToker added, "Oh to have a dad like this. This is the most beautiful thing I ever listened to."

When another viewer asked Ariel to post her dad's full speech, she replied, "It was so incredible, I trimmed out half of it and a lot of the pauses bc he kept crying."

The tenderness and sentiment to the strength of single mothers will live on thanks to Ariel's video.