Loving grandpa steps up to become primary caregiver for his granddaughter

Raising a baby as a single parent is one of the most difficult roles in life. But for one family in Illinois, they rallied around each other and truly embraced the concept of 'it takes a village' to raise their granddaughter. Instagrammer Mary Lentz (@maryinthemiddle) shared the sweet story of how her dad stepped in as primary caregiver to help care for her sister Anna's daughter when she became a single mother.

"⚡️ my sister and parents are all around heroes ❤️," the caption reads. In the video, Mary shares that she is on the way from California back to her hometown of Mundelein, Illinois. It's where her parents, Steve and Michelle Lentz, have lived for 30 years. She adds that her dad has been the mayor of Mundelein for nearly 12 years. Mary goes on to share more about her sister Anna, who she refers to as the "spice of life in the fam", sharing funny videos of her feisty personality.

"From the moment my dad heard his daughter would be a single mom, he rearranged his work schedule to watch her daughter,” Mary tells Upworthy.

From there, the video cuts to a sweet montage of Grandpa Lentz and his granddaughter being together. She is seen sitting on his lap, being pushed in a stroller, reading books together, playing with toys, cooking and dancing. The two are clearly obsessed with each other and connected at the hip.

And followers are just as obsessed with Grandpa Lentz. "Pop pop being her forever bestie just got me in tears🔥❤️," one commented. Another added, "Wow. Beautiful❤️ the bond they will share for life!" Another viewer commented, "Steve is a mighty man above men. What an incredible example of love, grace, family, and sacrifice. He truly gets it. We love your family so much!" And another summarized it in a few words: "Amazing father and grandfather❤️."

Mary shared another video of their special relationship. "POV: your sister becomes a single mom and your dad asks if he can be the primary caregiver," she writes in the video. It has more sweet moments of the two together, including a clip where he's detangling her hair, and another where he brings her to work.

Mary also made sure her mom (aka Grandma Michelle), also got some recognition. On Michelle's Instagram, she also shares bits about her time spent with their precious granddaughter. "She’s the luckiest to have the mama and grandparents she has ✨," Mary added in the caption.

The touching videos got more emotional (and humorous) responses from viewers. "Pop pop knows exactly what he’s doing!!! You see how he brushes out those ends?!?! ❤️🩹👏🏾🤌🏾," one commented. Another added, "That’s somebody’s son, somebody’s husband, someone’s father, and now that little girl’s grandpa. Everyone involved in shaping him should be proud." And another viewer wrote, "It takes a village indeed." Another commented, "Talk about a man who knows what’s important in his life and how to live his very best life." And another viewer added, "Pop pop being her forever bestie just got me in tears🔥❤️."