Toddler saw mom's lonely birthday photos from childhood and made her a promise that healed her inner child

When Emily Fauver (@emily.fauver on Instagram), a mother, opened up about no one showing up to her childhood birthday parties, she didn't expect much of a reaction from her daughter. But in that one beautiful moment, Fauver realized how beautiful and empathetic her daughter was — a true testament to just how deeply kids love. The video has received an outpouring of love on social media, garnering over 407K views since it was published on July 7, 2025.

Emily showed her daughter her childhood photo album that had pictures from her 8th birthday, where no one showed up. "Looks like you are sad," the little girl said, looking at her mama's photos. Despite her age, it's magical that Emily's daughter could understand what her mother must have felt to have an empty birthday celebration. She knew Emily deserved better, and so the girl said, reassuring her, "It's okay! If it's your birthday, I will always arrive there. Now, you have me." Emily's daughter, who, perhaps, could recognize her mother becoming a little emotional, swiftly changed the topic, and she asked, looking at a ton of birthday presents in the album, "Did you have to clean all that up?"

"She’s all of the magic I lost along the way! Her empathetic heart is something I’m most proud of as her mom. She heals a part of me every single day," Emily added in the caption. Children are the purest form of human beings who love without condition, and it's their innocence and empathy that are truly remarkable. In fact, the National Library of Medicine claims that parents have a great role in influencing how empathetic their children are. The report states that guardians who follow a balanced parenting style with reasonable discipline and authority raise kids with a higher ability to understand others' feelings.

Meanwhile, reacting to the beautiful video, @maggs commented, "An actual living angel on earth. I’m so happy you have her! God bless you both." @stacymusil said, "Okay, this made me tear up. There's nothing better than a daughter who is your best friend! My daughter is 25, and she's absolutely my best friend in the entire world!" @myshann1211 shared, "Oh my heart. First off, Momma, you are raising such wonderful children. Her empathy and ability to process such 'heavy' things are truly amazing. 'You deserve it all though,' and 'I will always arrive for you' got me crying, and then the little Miss Practical comes out and says, 'Did you have to clean all that up?' She is going to do great things in life."

Similarly, @cjones2575 shared, "She gets her love and empathy from you! You are a great mom, and she draws this from you! Sweet sweet Ella!" Another person who goes by @andikuiper on Instagram confessed, "The two of you remind me so much of my own daughter and me. Cherish the moments with her every step of the way. My daughter is now 23. Your relationship will just keep getting stronger and stronger. She will always be by your side, just like she says. She truly is your best friend. Her empathy and love are so pure and genuine. Love to see the love the two of you share." Echoing the sentiments, @2_shadesofgreen said, "Okay, I’m sobbing. The 'now you have me' really got me. What a precious soul your sweet girl is!"

You can follow Emily Fauver (@emily.fauver) on Instagram for more parenting content.