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Wife's encouraging speech to husband on a day his heart felt "weary" brings tears and hope

"You're not just keeping us afloat—you're thriving us."

Image via TikTok/@dadlifejason

Wife's encouraging speech to husband having a hard day is inspiring and tear-jerking.

A healthy and supportive marriage is a gift during tough times to provide support and lift each other up. A 2025 Pew Research Center study found that 74% of Americans "would be extremely or very likely to turn to their spouse or partner if they needed emotional support."

And for husband Jason (@dadlifejason), his wife Patience provided him with the love and encouraging words he needed on a hard day. "This was a day my heart was weary and she could feel it," he explained in the video's overlay about their marriage.

"This was a day when I felt like the whole world was on my shoulders and she could sense it," he wrote in the video's caption.

@dadlifejason

This was a day when I felt like the whole world was on my shoulders and she could sense it. #love #wordsofwisdom #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #husbandwife

In the video, the couple are sitting near each other in their home's living room and kitchen. Patience stands up and delivers a 90-second speech to Jason that he will never forget. "We're thriving because of you," she says. "Like, I'm able to get a new phone because of you. I'm able to go get my tests and get new glasses because of you. I'm able to have somebody come in here and clean because of you."

She continues, "I'm able to make a meal for not just our family but Crystal and Brett because of you. You're not just keeping us afloat—you're thriving us. And I appreciate you so much. The way you lavish your love on us is insane. You take such good care of us. You are such an incredible provider. And I don't just mean financially—you're incredible for our family."

tears, happy tears, emotional, tissues, crying Billy Crystal Crying GIF by MOODMAN Giphy

Patience concluded her speech: "Like I had expectations of what you're going to be like, and you have far surpassed them. I am overwhelmed with what a great provider you are for our family. I am so blessed and I'm so grateful that you're my husband. I just want you to know that. Okay?"

Then she walks over to give Jason a big, long hug. They both spend a few quiet moments in their embrace. "I just love you so much," she says, and Jason says, "I love you, too."

Jason adds in the video's overlay, "I needed this more than even I knew. Words heal," he wrote.

cry, crying, crying gif, happy cry, good cry ugly cry GIF Giphy

The touching video got an emotional response from viewers, who noted Jason is the "richest man on Earth." "Her 90 seconds will motivate that man for decades. F*cking BRAVO to that woman for lifting up her man. And BRAVO to that man for busting his ass for the family he loves," one viewer wrote. Another added, "Tell me you're rich without telling me you're rich. what a great support system he has." Another viewer commented, "She spoke life into that man."

Others opened up and shared that they longed for the same support from their spouse. "God this is all I want from my wife. It’ll never come though. Nothing worse than feeling alone in a relationship and having to stay for the kids benefit," one wrote. Another shared, "This is what all men want."

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Man finds himself playing piano duets with a mystery neighbor. An atypical love story begins.

At first, it seemed like the perfect romantic meet-cute, but turned out to be something far more meaningful.

Photo credit: Canva

Man's through-the-wall piano duet with a mystery neighbor became a beautiful love story.

Sometimes the right two people come along at the right time in each other's lives, and a story for the ages is born. But it's rare that we get to see such stories captured in real-time. This time we're lucky. In a silent saga befitting a Pixar short film—complete with soundtrack—a man and his mystery neighbor have taken us all on a beautiful journey of music, love, longing, and loss.

Giorgio Lo Porto is an Italian living in London, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, he shared a video of his new neighbor playing piano. The music is muffled behind their shared wall, but clear enough to hear. Lo Porto wrote that he left a note for the mystery neighbor, telling them he loved their music and asking if they could play "My Heart Will Go On." And so they did.

celine dion, my heart will go on, titanic "My Heart WIll Go On" by Celine Dion Giphy

Lo Porto left another note suggesting that they play something together, each in their own apartments. A call-and-response duet of sorts. He didn't know if they'd do it, or if they'd forget when the time came. He also said he himself hadn't played in months. But he started playing at 2pm, and as soon as he stopped, the neighbor began.

Their duets became a weekend "meet up," playing back and forth through their shared wall.

You can watch a compilation of the performance below but keep reading because there is so much more to this beautiful story:

- YouTube youtu.be


Seems like a perfect meet-cute in a romantic comedy, doesn't it?

On Valentine's Day, they played a duet and Lo Porto wrote "It's Valentine's Day. We're in lockdown. This was our way of saying, I don't know who you are but I'm here. You're not alone."

Then it came time for them to meet.

"Well, today I have met my neighbor," Lo Porto wrote in a video shared a week later. "It was better than expected."

"His name is Emil..."

piano, piano duets, music, mystery neighbor A mystery neighbor started playing along on the piano and a beautiful friendship formed.Photo credit: Canva

"He is 78 years old, originally from Poland. This is his temporary accommodation while he waits for his house to be sold."

"He lost his wife in December due to COVID," Lo Porto shared. "And all he has left is the piano. And the reason why he plays at 2pm every weekend is because his wife loved it."

"He thanked me for keeping him motivated and less lonely. And I promised that I'll play with him until he moves out."

"He is camera shy," he added. "But I'll try again when he's ready."

Lo Porto shared that Emil is "a special soul" and that "he is fine now, healing." And his piano playing is just gorgeous.

Playing with Emil inspired Lo Porto to write his own song. "I woke up with 3 notes in my head," he wrote on February 27.

He added some string orchestration to it and called it "Dear Emil." It's the first song he's ever written.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"When I wrote this piece I started picturing Emil's life," he wrote. "A 78 y.o. widower who lost his wife due to this stupid virus. Spending days at home alone due to lockdown. Looking forward to play her favourite piano songs at 2pm every weekend, until a note appeared on his door. A letter showing he was heard and not alone. And a new friendship started. Two pianos between a wall, not knowing who was playing. But it didn't matter."

"You can be the light of somebody else's darkness. So keep shining." Another week later, Lo Porto announced that Emil was moving out the following week, and shared their last weekend duet—the much requested "Moonlight Sonata."

He said Emil still didn't want to be on camera, but said he was much happier and thanked everyone who had been watching their duets. Lo Porto promised he would keep playing for him on the weekends.

piano, piano playing, music, duets Two men bonded over their love of piano. Giphy

It would be lovely if the story ended there, but it doesn't. (May need a tissue now if you haven't already grabbed one.)

Lo Porto shared on March 14th that he'd received word that Emil had passed away in his sleep: "And now he is reunited with his wife."

"Dear Emil," he wrote. "I knew very little about you, but you changed my life. You gave me back my passion, and we shared that with the world. You'll be in my heart. I'll keep playing, thinking of how powerful music can be. You said I was your light, but you've been mine too. Bye, Emil."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

If you needed a good cry today, hope that helped. And if you needed a reminder that humans can be wonderful and life can connect us in beautiful and mysterious ways, now you've got one.

You can follow Lo Porto on YouTube and listen to his music on Spotify as well.

This article originally appeared four years ago.

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A 30-year-old woman got dumped. Hundreds cheered her up with their later-in-life love stories.

You can still find the love of your life at 30, 40, and beyond.

via X
Couples who met after 30.

A lot of emotions rise to the surface after being dumped. It can leave a person feeling sad, lonely, confused, rejected and left with a sense that you’ll never find anyone again. People tend to think, “If that person couldn’t stick it out with me, then who will?” However, most of the time, it’s irrational worry. There are more than a few billion people on the planet to choose from, you just gotta put yourself out there. But that’s a hard thing to hear when your feelings are still raw.

A study reported by The New York Times found that today, the old “plenty of fish in the sea” cliche is growing truer by the day. We are nearing a point where there will be more unmarried adults in the U.S. than those who have tied the knot. The most recent Census data shows the share of American adults who were neither married nor living with a significant other had risen to 46.4%. That lines up with the demographics of dating app users; about 63% of the millions and millions of users are over 30.

So good news for you single folks, the dating pool just keeps getting deeper. Still, that doesn't mean it feels that way when you're in the thick of it.

kelsey huse, marriage after 30, real stories, love stories, marriage, love, relationships, dating, dating apps, relationshipsFirst dates are intimidating, especially as we get older. Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

In 2020, Kelsey Huse, a software engineer from Austin, Texas, broke up with her boyfriend and at the age of 30, felt like she was never going to meet anyone again.

It's an understandable feeling. Our culturally accepted notion of love is that you're going to meet the love of your life in college or your early 20s. After that, you'll be lucky to settle for companionship. Huse wanted to know if there was any hope in her future.

“My bf broke up with me this week and I just wanna hear happy stories of ppl who found their partner in their 30s thanks,” she wrote on X.

Huse received an avalanche of responses from people who shared pictures and stories about how they met their special people in their 30s and later, giving her plenty of hope for the future. Her tweet went mega-viral earning nearly 7,000 retweets and 150,000 likes.

Here are some of the best responses.

"I strongly believe getting married in your 20s should be illegal. Sort of kidding, but I met my husband at 32 at a funeral. We make each other laugh just by being ourselves. He is the kindest person I know. We celebrated our 13 year wedding anniversary this year," one user wrote.

"I met my wife in my 30’s and we got married in our 40’s. Love her," added another.


Stories poured in by the dozens to prove that, yes, it really is possible to not only date close to and after 30, but to find love, and even to find the love of your life.

That's not to say that dating after 30 doesn't have its challenges and differences. Experts recommend re-evaluating your approach as you get older. In your 30s it's probably time to ditch the games and be more direct about what you want. Don't waste time with people who don't want the same things in life and love as you, but you'll also have to learn to give people some grace and patience — everyone has scars and warts at this age, including you.

Huse couldn't believe the incredible responses she received and better yet, that they really did lift her spirits.


kelsey huse, marriage after 30, real stories, love stories, marriage, love, relationships, dating, dating apps, relationshipsYes, even us elder-millennials can meet someone new and fall in love at any point in life. Photo by Sean Stratton on Unsplash

Huse may not have known it at the time, but breaking up at 30 may have been a blessing in disguise. Studies show that people who get married later in life have better mental health than those who get hitched at a younger age.

According to family ecology researcher Matt Johnson, those who married at the same age as or later than their peers reported higher levels of happiness and self-esteem—and less depression—than those who married early.

"People who marry early tend not to get as much education, have kids earlier than is optimal, and as a result get locked into careers they hadn't aspired to. In mid-life they're a little more depressed—or have a lower sense of self-worth—not because they violated some societal norm, but because they started down the path to family life early,” Johnson said.

Huse's story shows that there is no time frame for love and that it’s possible to find the perfect person well after the age of 30. It also shows that even though Twitter/X gets a deserved bad rap for being a pretty hostile environment, every once in a while people come together to do something beautiful.

This article originally appeared three years ago. It has been updated.

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Third graders help surprise beloved music teacher with a proposal on the last day of school

She thought the cameras were rolling for a different reason.

Courtesy of\u00a0Ladue Schools Communications Department

Danielle Sutherland poses with her fiancé Josh and her third grade class at Old Bonhomme Elementary School.

Summer break got off to a sweet start for music teacher Danielle Sutherland. The third grade teacher at Old Bonhomme Elementary School in St. Louis, Missouri got the surprise of a lifetime when her class helped her fiancé Josh propose to her on the last day of school.

He planned an elaborate proposal disguised as part of an end-of-year interview with the school district's Director of Communications, Kimberly G. McKenzie, M.A.

"Josh apparently reached out to my Principal about a month ago letting her know what he wanted to do. From there, it just took off!" Sutherland tells Upworthy. "My third grade teammates, ESL teacher, music teacher, and a few others all orchestrated a plan. Kimberly came on the last day of school to 'do an interview and photoshoot to include in the end of year communication about elementary choirs'."

Sutherland was told to dress up for the interview. "What a bummer!!" she quips. "I went to the 'interview' and we took pictures. Little did I know that my students were not just having a snack waiting for me to get back, but were instead being clued in on the big surprise."

After the interview, Sutherland walked back into her classroom where "Invisible String" by Taylor Swift was playing, and she saw Josh standing there. She immediately burst into tears.

"Josh brought his parents, my parents, my brothers, other family, close friends, and asked the students if they would help him pop the question!" she adds. "Needless to say, I was completely surprised (hearing) my students say 'Will you marry him?' Between shaking hands and lots of happy tears, I said YES!"

proposal, marriage proposal, engaged, engagement, surprise engagementDanielle Sutherland poses with her fiancé Josh and her third grade class at Old Bonhomme Elementary School.Courtesy of Ladue Schools Communications Department

The proposal went off without a hitch, and Sutherland was completely surprised. "As a little girl, I’ve dreamed about this day forever, and he somehow planned a proposal that was greater than I could have ever imagined," she says. "My students mean the world to me. They are truly my family for an entire year."

She credits Josh for planning the truly perfect proposal: "Josh knew what I wanted without me ever saying a word about it. He knows me more than I know myself," she adds. "He knew how important it was for me to include my students (my classroom family) in this massive life moment. My heart was overwhelmingly full."

danielle sutherland, josh, engagement, proposal, marriage proposalJosh proposes to Old Bonhomme Elementary School third grade teacher Danielle Sutherland.Courtesy of Ladue Schools Communications Department

Sutherland also shared more about the couple's love story, and how the two met. "Josh and I have been together for a little over a year. He moved from Cape Girardeau to St. Louis, and he works for the city of Brentwood. He is truly the most wonderful man I have ever met. He has made all of my wildest dreams a reality," she says. "I am a self-proclaimed 'professional bridesmaid' and have been in so many weddings of my friends. He made sure that I had the big romantic gesture that every woman deserves. I couldn’t be more excited to spend the rest of my life with him!"

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