Kids surprise dad who recently retired with a surprise sleepover at his place: 'Greatest gift'

A parent's retirement is an emotional moment for the children. It makes them realize that their parents are getting older and they should spend more time with them. To make such a grim moment fun, Aubrey Grossen—who goes by @aubreygrossen on Instagram—and her five siblings surprised their parents with a sleepover at their parents' house after their father retired. In the sweet video, the children were seen having quality time with their parents.

The video began with a text overlay, "My dad retired...so the 6 of us siblings decided to surprise him with a sleepover." The children walked into their parents' house with their blankets and pillows. The dad couldn't believe his eyes and was a bit emotional. In the following clips, the dad was seen dancing with one of his daughters, the family playing a board game and they all later watched videos from their childhood. 

After this, the sisters were seen cuddling each other. It ended with the dad making crepes in the kitchen for the family. Throughout the video, the song "What I've been looking for," a cover by Brent Morgan, was playing. It just made the whole video even more beautiful. Grossen gave some background about why the sleepover was so special. She wrote in the caption, "My parents are also headed to Africa in a couple of weeks to serve in the Congo for 18 months, so time has felt even more tender."

She continued, "We played the game we always played as kids (that only allows 4 players so we teamed up). My dad blasted Elton John like old times, danced in the kitchen and we stayed up late laughing and crying to old home videos of us as kids. The next morning, my dad woke up to make us crepes like he always did on Saturday mornings. There was something so healing about feeling like a little kid again. I know it's rare to have your siblings be your best friends and I'm so grateful for that gift and the time we spend together."

People were in awe of what the kids did for their father. @opportunitieswithalli commented, "Amazing! You provided both parents more love and affirmation for a job well done than you realize. Bravo!" @lorinnn18 wrote, "My dad passed away 6 months ago when I was 38 weeks pregnant. What I would give to do this with my siblings. This is so beautiful. Your dad's smile says it all." @shaynevs expressed, "I love this so much! My parents are my world! And I'm so sad to have siblings that don't realize that and don't even talk to their parents. I am so glad you honor your father. Way to go to him for retiring." @zionstinyoasis shared, "Beautiful! You are very lucky to have healthy parents and that kind of relationship with your siblings is priceless."

Grossen also commented about how proud she is of her father. She wrote, "At dinner, I couldn't help but feel so proud of my dad. He's worked his butt off his whole life to support our family. I know some years were really difficult, but he kept going because he loved us. I feel so grateful for the sacrifices my parents made. I know a lot of people have really hard childhoods and it makes me cry and have so much gratitude for the beautiful one I had that I probably never 'deserved' but am forever grateful for."

You can follow Aubrey Grossen (@aubreygrossen) on Instagram for content on mental health and skincare.