Man surprises dad by paying off his mortgage — and he had the most ‘dad’ reaction possible

There is something satisfying about impressing one’s parents and bringing a genuine smile to their faces. As adults, the latter gives a different sense of pride and acknowledgment. A young man named Noah (@thatsndot) had just the perfect gift for his dad on his birthday. The man handed his dad an envelope with wholesome news that he had paid off his mortgage. The elderly man’s reaction is every typical dad and we’re loving the love hidden behind it all. According to the Lending Tree, Americans collectively owe mortgages worth $12.61 trillion. Out of all U.S. consumer debts, almost 70% account for mortgage debts.

It takes some people decades before they can pay off these whopping costs. Noah’s dad was among the people who had his mortgage to pay. On his birthday, his son decided to surprise him by relieving him of the burden of paying the debt. Like every father-son duo, he did not break the news up front. Instead, he shared it via a message in an envelope. The two men were seated and as the dad was focused on his laptop, Noah put his hand around his dad’s shoulder. “Hey Dad?” he said. The gesture was enough for the dad to stop what he was doing and turn towards his son.

Noah then wished him a happy birthday and handed him the envelope. Confused, the dad looked at him to ask what it was. When the man insisted he open it, the dad stared at the contents of the envelope for a few seconds and then stared back at his son. He was overcome with a flood of emotions and had no idea how to respond. “It must be fake,” he said, looking at his son, trying to figure out what just happened. The mortgage being paid off was big news and the dad just couldn’t believe it. “It’s real,” Noah said repeatedly, trying hard to control his laughter and joy. The dad still couldn’t believe his eyes and kept staring at his son.

Finally, when he managed to grasp the depth of the news, he gave an impressed look and nodded his head in approval. Like every dad, there was no emotional or sentimental feeling visible but the ideal “dad nod” revealed that he was overwhelmed with love and gratitude. “Not bad, not bad,” he said to his son, with a soft smile, full of pride. At this point, even the littlest expression meant everything to Noah and left him smiling ear to ear. 

The duo quickly got back to their banter after the precious moment but it has undoubtedly become a core memory in their hearts. Many people shared that the dad’s subtle reaction had a treasure’s worth of love hidden in it. @erik.njoka said, “He is so proud of you. And he loved his gift for sure.” @xandeibels added, “Not bad. Somehow, I think that’s a nice compliment.” @ireallydont34 remarked, “First off, he cried as soon as you weren't looking. He is so proud, he's about to bust.” @mitchandi said, “Your dad is playing it cool, but I know he's crying from appreciation on the inside.”

You can follow Noah (thatsndot) on Instagram for more wholesome content on family.