Man thought his daughter gifted him an ordinary pillow. When he realized its special connection to his late dad, he teared up

A man lost his father about four months before Christmas, and it was his first time celebrating without him. He pretended to be strong for his family, but the loss had broken him from the inside. His daughter (@jessie_lumbard), however, knew exactly how he was feeling and thus had planned for something very special for him. She had customized a pillow as a Christmas present that had a meaningful connection to her late grandpa. Her father opened the gift and looked very confused at first, but then broke down as he recognized what it was. His other daughter, who goes by @cargoeshard on Instagram, posted the video; it has been viewed 557k times on her profile.

His father used to wear flannel shirts, and after his death, his granddaughter had saved some of them as memories. On Christmas, she decided to use them and customize a pillow to gift it to her grieving father, along with other gifts. Her father opened her gift and, for a moment, looked confused, seeing the pillow. However, he soon realized what it was and asked, "Is that Dad's?" By now, he was fighting to hold back his tears. But he couldn't control his emotions for long, as he broke down in tears moments later. "That's thoughtful," he whispered before pulling the pillow into a hug as if he were hugging his father. He knew he wouldn't ever see his father again, but now, at least, he has something that will keep his memories alive. And more importantly, make him feel closer to his dad. That's exactly how memory keepsakes comfort people mourning the loss of their loved ones.

Researchers Wendy Walker, Peter Kevern, Jennifer Jones, Stacey Picken, and Nikolaos Efstathiou interviewed ten family members who had lost someone close unexpectedly. They wanted to understand whether memory keepsakes helped bereaved individuals cope with the loss or made the situation even worse. Surprisingly, the researchers found that memory keepsakes, such as a lock of hair, a handprint, a photograph, a keepsake box, and/or a matching knitted heart, helped people feel a personal connection with their loved ones and comforted them during hard times. "The findings from this single-site study suggest the offer of memory keepsakes is a helpful end-of-life and bereavement care intervention in adult acute care," the study concluded.

The Instagram video received an overwhelming response, leaving people teary-eyed. For instance, @maggie. c.thomps commented, "It is so incredibly thoughtful. The world needs more of this (and hugs for your loss)." Similarly, @gram_hampton shared, "I lost my brother 10 years ago. I still have, to this day, a pillow I use made out of his blanket! Love this." @sandrafraser27 wrote, "I did this for my mom, brother, nephews, niece, and myself when my dad died four years ago. It's a lovely visual reminder of someone we loved dearly and miss terribly. And now four years later, I'm picking out my favorite shirts of my mom's." @turrkoise commented, "The way he said, 'Is that Dad's?' That was a little boy missing his dad all over again."

You can follow @cargoeshard on Instagram for more lifestyle content.

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