Birthday girl feels guilty partying after seeing dad sweating in the field — promises to retire him

Kiaraa (@kiaraa.mataa on TikTok), a loving daughter, feels guilty every time she FaceTimes her father in the middle of a celebration. The reason? Well, while she enjoys a comfortable life, thriving on luxury, her dad works in the oil field, devoid of safety and certainty. On July 6, 2025, Kiaraa posted one such video call with her father, honoring him for everything he does to make sure his daughter has every opportunity he never had.

With sweat streaming down his sunburned face, Kiaraa's dad answered her call, trying everything he could to hide his suffering. But seeing him so worn-out, his daughter immediately felt a sharp pain in her heart, reminding her of everything her father goes through daily to see her smile. "The guilt I feel celebrating when I know my dad is out there suffering," Kiaraa explained, sharing the bittersweet moment. Throughout their conversation, her dad kept his cool, refusing to end the call despite immense work pressure, knowing that this was their only way to stay connected. With a constant smile covering his face, Kiaraa's father listened to his beloved daughter, as if this was the moment he had been waiting for the whole day.

Unlike Kiaraa, not every child gets a father who sacrifices his life only for their kids. In fact, because of the age-old gender stereotype that sadly our society still follows, childcare is often associated with only mothers. For instance, a 2021 study conducted in rural Madagascar had mothers confess that fathers don't wish to be involved in childcare responsibilities. "No, they [fathers] don’t say anything but whenever you ask him [the father] to feed the baby, he will just say no," said a mother.

Meanwhile, when Kiaraa posted the video, she didn't expect so much backlash and people calling her out for letting her dad work while she was celebrating her princess life. The lady immediately took to the comments, clarifying her plans of retiring her father once she completes her education. Kiaraa wrote, "I plan on going to law school and providing for him in the same way after I graduate."

Despite the negativity, Kiaraa also had some people who recognized her dad for who he truly was and appreciated the efforts he put in to provide for his family. For instance, @lostone.101 commented, "No man on earth will love you unconditionally like your father; it’s selfless, genuine, and real love that you didn’t need to earn because it’s always been there." Similarly, another user, @demigoddan420, said, "The sweat and hard work keep him young! This is a beautiful thing. As a father myself, seeing you appreciate your dad for working hard is so heartwarming."

On the other hand, @grahammy2tall wrote, "He’d choose to suffer in many ways to give you the life he never had! Once you were created and given to him, he couldn’t choose anything else! Those eyes speak a thousand words and a thousand stories! All his suffering is worth it to him when, at the end, he sees you smile, your accomplishments, and your dreams fulfilled! He isn’t suffering; he’s killing it at life! He’s doing what so many other men could never sacrifice." Echoing the sentiments, @ej wrote, "You calling him in that moment showed him his purpose again; it regained his strength to keep going because I can tell you right now that’s why that man is out there working his tail off."

You can follow Kiaraa (@kiaraa.mataa) on TikTok for more parenting content.