Woman who grew up watching grandma cook burst into tears when she learned what her 'nona' had left her

Receiving a heirloom piece from elders is always an emotional experience. It isn't just a tangible reminder of treasured family history but also a token that represents the profound connection between family members. A woman named Maddy DeVita (@handmethefork) posted a TikTok video sharing how she became teary-eyed when her Italian-American family members handed her a prized heirloom that once belonged to her grandma: a sauce pot. Maddy's grandma, who passed away recently at 96 years old, used this pot to cook all her recipes. The video capturing Maddy's momentary reaction upon receiving this gift amassed over 20 million views in just a day.

“It was an emotional day, but we wanted to be a cause for celebration,” Maddy said while describing the latest Sunday dinner in detail, in a previous TikTok video. On this day, all the 16 granddaughters of Nonna plus her seven children gathered in her house to pay a heartfelt tribute to her and pick up heirlooms from her collections to honor her will. “The champagne was flowing. There was tons of food. Just lots of flipping through the old photo albums and reminiscing over old memories,” Maddy explained.

Tables were laid out with mats topped with arrays of jewelry, assorted accessories and other vintage items. Everyone got to select something that seemed “special” to them. One woman selected an old leather-strap watch while others picked up items like earrings, brooches, shoes and a cute pair of binoculars.

When all these items were sorted out, Maddy’s uncle held up an ordinary-looking sauce pot in his hands and made an announcement. Stirring a lighthearted mood, he revealed that he first saw this pot almost two decades ago. “For me, it was so special because my mom told me that it was the ‘risotto pot.’ It’s a wonderful pot that needs to be passed on to the next generation,” he said. He shared that his mom received this precious kitchen vessel in 1954 as a wedding gift.

Then, looking in the direction where Maddy stood, he announced that the sauce pot was going to her. While other family members clapped for her, she slowly walked towards her uncle, wiping tears from her eyes. “I immediately burst into tears. This sauce pot is so special to all of us known seven kids, let alone all of her grandchildren. So to be entrusted with it just means the world,” she exclaimed.

In the above-mentioned viral video, Maddy shared a compilation of clips including moments from this special Sunday dinner as well as older memories of dining with her Nonna. This sauce pot is now “my entire personality,” she wrote in the video caption. The wholesome video garnered comments from over 16,000 TikTokers who couldn’t stop feeling teary-eyed themselves. “This is what it means to be rich,” commented @username015710. @prettyeett said, “You are now the new nonna of the future generation.” @hasselhoff told Maddy “That's so special. And Nonna will continue to live through your cooking.”  

You can follow Maddy DeVita (@handmethefork) on TikTok for recipes and family dinner videos.