Emily Sutliff lives down the street from her parents in Boston. So, when she returned to work after giving birth to her now-2½-year-old daughter, Rory, her parents, Betsy and Paul, watched the little one during the day. Rory now attends daycare part-time, but her grandparents still care for her three times a week.
Recently, Betsy and Paul, both in their 60s, went on a month-long vacation to Italy, making it the longest Rory had ever gone without seeing them. Although they Facetimed during the trip, Sutliff, 36, tells us that the toddler really missed them.
Emily Sutliff’s daughter Rory with grandmother Betsy.
Emily Sutliff
After her parents returned home last week, Sutliff took Rory over to see them and recorded their reunion, which she later posted on TikTok, where it has since garnered more than 1.6 million views.
“this is how I imagine heaven will be….Thank you for sharing this precious moment with us,” one comment reads.
“That knock was urgent baby! This is so sweet 🥰,” someone else writes.
Another comment says, “After the hug, how she sets back a little and is just taking them all in. The richest little girl in the world right there 🥰🥰🥰.”
Emily Sutliff’s daughter Rory with grandfather Paul.
Emily Sutliff
“That video captures her genuine reaction,” says Sutliff, who also recently gave birth to a son. “She is incredibly close to them, and it’s been wonderful to witness. I was so excited when I found out I was pregnant and having a child, and there’s so much joy that comes with that. But I think I may have underestimated how special it is to see the relationship she has with them.”
“She’s just very, very close to them,” she adds. “As you saw in the video, she really missed my dad. She was so thrilled to see them when they came home.”
Speaking to us exclusively, Sutliff shares that it makes her happy to see her video bringing joy to others. Often, when she’s having a bad day, she watches similar heartfelt videos to lift her mood.
“I think sometimes with social media or just life in general, there can be a lot of stress and I just want people to come to my page and see happy videos and see a great relationship,” she says. “I can honestly say to you, that’s an authentic relationship. That is me turning my camera on, pulling up to their house and capturing that moment.”
She also mentions that while her parents are aware of the video, they don’t fully grasp its popularity.
“I told them, ‘Oh, this video has lots of views and lots of comments,’ and they’re like, ‘Okay, that’s cool, I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ ” she says. “They’re not super familiar with social media, but I think they’re excited that I want others to see the nice relationship they have with my daughter.”
Since posting the TikTok, Sutliff has noticed comments about her crying in the background. She admits that while filming, she didn’t realize how emotional she was.
“I just feel so lucky to have them as parents,” she reflects. “When people say it takes a village to raise a child, there’s no truer statement. I think I felt emotional because it was a long time for me too. My parents are retired, and they’ve given me so much while raising me. I want them to enjoy their trips, but I miss them so much.”
“We have a routine where we go up there and spend time together, so I think I was a little overcome with emotion,” she continues. “It wasn’t until I listened to the video that I realized, oh, I might’ve been tearing up or feeling emotional in that moment, just because I was so happy for Rory and me to be reunited with them.”
