Being apart from family members can take its toll on people, especially when you're far away from your mother.
Such was the case for professional soccer player Juan Sanchez, as a result of the COVID-19 restrictions.
But then, he got a heartwarming and tear-jerking surprise.
The Adorable Reunion Between Mother and Son After 3 Years Apart
Sanchez had gotten used to a feeling nobody ever wants to get used to: not seeing his family.
While playing soccer for Spain's UD Santa Brigida in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Sanchez has been apart from his family who lived in their home country of Colombia.
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Sanchez moved to Spain in 2019 to play soccer professionally and then the world turned upside down.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions and the cost of airline travel had separated Sanchez and his mother for more than three years. Plans to travel home and been arranged for the end of the 2021 UD Santa Brigida season but his mother had other plans.
She was going to beat him to it and surprise him on the stadium pitch after a game.
And surprise him she did.
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In a video widely shared online, you can see the beautiful moment Sanchez is surprised by his mother. He falls to his knees in shock and then delightfully hugs his mom in what feels like one of the most powerful hugs caught on camera with his teammates applauding in the background.
“I couldn’t control the roller coaster of emotions that I was feeling and my knees buckled and I started to cry with happiness,” said Sanchez in Spanish. “In the moment, time stopped and I felt safe in my mother’s arms, hugging her after all that time spiked my serotonin levels.”
It's a video that captures the beautiful human emotion of connection and you can feel the love through a single camera shot:
Since being posted, the video has had over 3.5 million views, with 2.9 coming from TikTok alone. Set to the backdrop of Tom Rosenthal's "Lights Are On," it's a definite tear-jerker.
"I can't stop crying!" reads one TikTok comment.
"And just like that… He’s a kid all over again," says the video's top reply.
"No matter how old we get, a boy is always gonna need his mama," commented another user.
There’s No Happiness Like Reuniting With a Loved One
The pandemic has been hard on a lot of people, for many reasons. This was a reunion for the record books.
Here's betting Sanchez had a heck of a season after finally being able to hug his mother after so long.
Moms are the angels of the planet. Hold yours tightly after you clear your eyes up from this...
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