Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Having the support of your family can make you feel like you can do and accomplish anything. Family members that show up and are a consistent presence and source of support are an invaluable gift. And it's one Instagrammer Sallie Anne (@sallie.anne) is lucky to have with her mom. She shared their special relationship with viewers on Instagram as she picked up her mom to join her last-minute at her daughter's game.

In the video, Sallie broke down in tears of gratitude for her mom always showing up and wanting to be a part of her and her three daughters' lives. "Today felt like a good day to celebrate my Mom. She's 82 now...and is still up for spontaneous adventures. I am so blessed to have her, 🪷" she wrote in the video's caption.


In the sweet video, Sallie picks up her mom in front of a building, where she is patiently waiting for her with her walker. She gets in the car, and the two start an emotional conversation. "Thank you for saying 'yes'' that you will come," Sallie says to her mom. "You always say 'yes' last minute too. I call you last minute and you always say, 'Okay I'll do it!'"

Her mom replies with a genuine smile, "I'm glad I'm coming. Yeah, I'll do it! Cuz I love being with the girls." Sallie begins to tear up, and tells her mom, "I appreciate you mom, I love you." Her mom replies, "Stop that now," as she gingerly touches Sallie's face. "I love you too. I appreciate you too. You do everything for me, sweetheart. And if I didn't have you, I wouldn't have anybody to help me."

In the video's caption, Sallie explained more of her mom's story with viewers, detailing her difficult childhood and how she overcame many obstacles to live a full and happy life. "My mom. God, I am so blessed that she is my mother. She's the middle of 9 children - from South Georgia. She grew up very poor. Share[d] a bed with her six sisters poor. Roof made of only a piece of tin poor. No bathroom inside the house poor," she shared.

Sallie goes on to share that her mom would sneak to the family's pig pen to read, and was valedictorian. She earned a scholarship to college, but her parents were not supportive. "She lied and told them that she was going to work in the city. She got her boss at the steakhouse restaurant to vouch for her with the scholarship in place of her parents," Sallie shared. "Mom worked her way all the way to her PhD with grants and scholarships."

From there, her mom became a successful educator and "taught me to listen to my intuition, watch the stars, go on adventures, always believe 'you can do it,' and read my horoscope weekly. My mom is a warrior. She is smart and headstrong. She is my inspiration. We've healed a lot in our relationship."

The tender moment resonated with viewers.

"Thank you for sharing your mom’s story of determination and grit - a reminder for women about a generation of woman who found ways around huge barriers. She is indeed lucky to have you ♥️," one wrote.

Another commented, "Such a beautiful moment captured between your amazing mother and yourself. Wow, reading her story and the determination and courage she has lived with is absolutely inspiring.❤️"

One other added, "What a beautiful story! I hope you have lots of good times ahead, especially last minute ones. 😍🙏❤️"

More For You

woman in brown shirt covering her face

It normalizes vulnerability.

Photo by Fa Barboza on Unsplash

Mom encourages parents to let their kids see them cry in emotional video

Kids often look at their parents like superheroes–strong, confident and indestructible. But of course, they are human. And with that comes feeling and expressing emotions, some that are sad and heavy–especially when dealing with the loss of a loved one.

And Instagrammer Ashley Lemieux (@ashleyklemiuex), a grief expert who has her Masters in Science with an emphasis in Grief and Bereavement, shared why she believes kids should see their parents cry.

Keep ReadingShow less
parents signing into their baby's crib; a baby with sensors stuck on his head

Callie Foster (@thelacouple) and her husband Leo share their journey learning sign language with son Luca.

thelacouple/Instagram

Couple documents emotional journey learning sign language after son is born deaf

When Callie Foster (@thelacouple) and her husband Leo welcomed their baby boy Luca into the world in 2021, they received an unexpected health diagnosis. After failing his newborn hearing screenings twice, and following further testing, at six weeks old they were told that Luca was profoundly Deaf. As first-time hearing parents, it was overwhelming and emotional news that they have shared with their followers on Instagram. "We grieved the sounds we thought he'd never hear, the whispered I love yous, the world we assumed he'd miss out on," Callie wrote in an Instagram video detailing their journey with Luca.

But they immediately took action, researching and engaging with online parenting and Deaf communities. One mother's advice changed everything: ‘All your baby needs is love and language—keep singing, keep talking, but most importantly, start signing.' So they did.

Keep ReadingShow less
madeliefvis_, the greatest showman, wedding

Maddie (madeliefvis_) and her family practice dance from 'The Greatest Showman' for sister's wedding.

madeliefvis_/Instagram

Family practiced epic dance from 'The Greatest Showman' for 8 months to surprise sister at her wedding

Surprise performances at wedding receptions are always iconic. And TikToker Maddie (@madeliefvis) and her entire family pulled off one for the books. To surprise her sister who was getting married, they learned the dance and exact choreography for the song "From Now On" from the movie The Greatest Showman to surprise her at their wedding reception.

"Watch our family practice for 8 months to learn this dance from my sister's favorite movie as a surprise for her wedding," she wrote in the video's caption.

Keep ReadingShow less
kimberly dowdell, reunion, down syndrome

Brothers Blake and Jack have an emotional reunion.

thekimberlydowdell/Instagram

Teen with Down syndrome travels hundreds of miles for incredible reunion with brother

Going off to college is the break-free moment that most young adults long for. While the newfound freedom is an amazing change, it is also a time of transition--which can bring a lot of uncomfortable feelings with the adjustment. It can be overwhelming, scary, and unfamiliar. So when mom Kimberly DowDell (@thekimberlydowdell) received a message from her son Blake that he was feeling anxious and overwhelmed during his second semester at college, she knew exactly what to do. She loaded up the family, including her husband and Blake's brother Jack (who has Down syndrome), and got on the road to go see him. And the brothers had an emotional reunion that was shared on social media.

"Blake is in his second semester of college, and being away from home can be hard. When he told us he was feeling anxious and overwhelmed, we didn’t even think twice—we jumped in the car and drove 286 miles just to be there for him," she wrote in the post's Instagram caption. "To remind him he’s not alone. To give him words of encouragement. To wrap him in a hug that says, we see you, we love you, and we’re always here for you."

Keep ReadingShow less
Hand dyeing brassy hair

A beautiful hair journey.

Fabulous son helps his mom embrace gray hair after years of dyeing

Have you watched The Substance? I have not (body horror isn't really my thing), but from what I gather, the message at the film's core is profound: Don't resist aging because doing so only invokes chaos and destruction. This sounds nice in theory, but there's so much pressure to age the "right" way in the real world. Older women especially face an impossible task: aging "gracefully" while the world around you treats youth as the ultimate prize.

However, a viral YouTube video is not-so-quietly rewriting society's beauty rules. When celebrity hairstylist Guy Tang's mom decided to embrace her natural gray hair and stop dyeing it dark, she turned to her son for help. The transformation, documented in one of Tang's many videos, took over eight hours to complete—an astounding testament to the power of reclaiming authority and recognizing the beauty of aging.

Keep ReadingShow less