Sisters revisit childhood home after 18 years—tearing up while rediscovering lost memories

Revisiting the past can help give a person a sense of their well-being, as the process will let people live their memories again, whether happy or sad. Sometimes, many of us in our busy lives leave unfinished business behind, which for years keeps bothering us. Going through a similar gut-wrenching feeling, a woman, along with her sibling, decided to return to their childhood home after eighteen long years. The now-resident of Utah, Magnolia Collaton—who goes by @magnoliajjoy on TikTok—was joined by her sister Charlie in what was described as their unforgettable “bittersweet” healing experience.

In the video, the sisters were seen driving to their long-lost family home located somewhere in Florida. “POV you and your sister decide to visit your old childhood home and ask for a tour,” the text overlay read, as “nervous” Collaton stepped out of their vehicle. At this point, the 24-year-old was told by her sister that even if the current owner of the house would not entertain their request, they’d “still give it a shot.” “I’m so nervous that I can hear my heart pounding,” Collaton expressed her mixed emotions upon seeing the place she grew up in this closely after so long.

After giving a brief introduction to the new occupant, Collaton came straight to the point. “We grew up in this house like 20 years ago,” she said. The owner affirmatively responded, asking the sisters if their dad or mom were musicians. Collaton’s positive reply got her an entry pass to their long-forgotten childhood lane filled with countless memories of her parents, who have passed away now. “Oh my God, I’m going to cry,” she said, apologizing to the owner for her emotional outpouring. “All the memories came flooding back,” the text overlay described her feelings upon entering the house.

The sisters got a chance to see their parents’ old studio and their childhood bedroom, which was now transformed into a drawing room by the new owners. Following this, they walked through the entire house, noticing the changes the place had undergone over all these years. “This is so surreal,” remarked Collaton, recalling that everything in their old home used to feel big in size. Thereafter, the sisters got nostalgic seeing the room where they celebrated their first Christmas and had family dinners. The duo stepped out of the house and went toward the backyard to spot a tree they had some memories about.

“You made it look like a swing side,” thanked the current owner, maintaining the lawn as it was. Meanwhile, the text overlay suggested that it was a place where siblings “laid back in the grass to watch the sky every day.” Collaton complimented her late dad for being the “handy guy,” giving him credit for the well-organized backyard. “I moved out of the family home roughly around 2006,” Collaton later told Newsweek about her unfulfilled dream of visiting their childhood home. With over 1.2 million views, the video has inspired others to share their revisiting experiences on social media.

@funkn_flowers remembered, “I stayed at an Airbnb a few years back that was directly behind my childhood home I haven’t seen since my dad died when I was 11. I walked around the block a few times to look at it. I wish I knocked.” “‘Everything seemed so big when we lived here.’ I said the same thing about my childhood home because when you’re little, everything is big,” reasoned @amiraeec. “I can’t wait to do this. If my childhood home ever goes up for sale again, I’m 100% going to buy it and move back in,” @frogsaresuperawesome added.

You can follow Magnolia Collaton (@magnoliajjoy) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.