Dad asks to pick up teen son for the last time. Neither expected such wholesome tears.

Cecily Knobler
Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:39:33 +0000
Adolescent development, Father son relationship, Last hug, Long hugs, Teen years, Unconditional love, Fatherhood journey, Fatherhood, Dads, Sons, Hugging, Father and son

It sort of started out as a joke. Eric Justice Guzman was feeling all kinds of conflicted on the eve of his son Colby's 15th birthday. On one hand, he was so proud of his only son, filling with joy as he watched his official journey into the center of his teen years. On the other hand, as time goes by so quickly, he realized there was an expiration date for being able to open his arms and lift him up, with the heft only a parent has in happily picking up their child—just as he had done with Colby when he was a baby, a toddler, and a young child.

In a now-viral video, we see Eric instruct Colby to say "uppy" and "put your arms up." He then warns him, "And I'm gonna pick you up and hold you for the last time." His other child watches and adorably says, "I want an uppy!" Colby looks at his dad for a moment, a bit trepidatious, and then goes for it with his full chest. Up his arms go as he exclaims, "Uppy," and Eric lifts him up. Colby wraps his legs around him, almost as if directed by his inner three-year-old, and their hug is magnificent. More than that, they both seem to realize the profoundness of this moment at the exact same time.

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Their tears turn into laughs and inside jokes, and it's truly an important few seconds in their father-son timeline.

Eric writes on Instagram, "This turned out to be way more emotional than I thought it was going to be. Last night, in Colby’s last few hours as a 14-year-old, I picked him up and held him for the last time.

I was thinking about the last moments we have in life but we don’t realize it. The last time my friend group hung out together, but didn’t know it was the last. The last time I talked to my dad before he unexpectedly passed. And like here, the last time I held my son in my arms before he was just too big.

I knew I had the strength for one last time. One last time for my kid to say 'Uppy' and I can lift him up and hold him. One last time to carry his weight as I have so many times before, but I knew this is probably the last time.

We celebrated 15 years old today. He’s now a young man. I don’t know how we got here so fast. It seemed just yesterday he was following me around trying to do everything I did… now he fits my clothes."

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There are over 200,000 likes and comments from parents, non-parents, and mental health professionals all supporting this wonderful moment. Many viewers were in tears: "Need a warning label on this video. I'm weeping at the gym."

One writes, "As a mental health professional who specializes in adolescent development… THIS IS LOVE IN MOTION. This is the result of years of building trust and intimacy. Dad, THANK YOU for being a safe space for your children."

And this person simply shares, "Men need to be hugged more."

Child experts reveal that it's not just men and boys who benefit from long hugs from their parents.

Anne Marie Kirsten writes in her article, "Why Your Family Needs 20-Second Hugs," that research shows hugs boost one's well-being. "The 20-second hug is exactly as explained on the proverbial tin," Kirsten writes. "It’s not just a light pat or a quick squeeze. It’s wrapping your arms around someone and hugging for about 20 seconds or more. Research shows that long hugs help your body release feel-good hormones and can reduce blood pressure."

Kirsten cites Dr. Kory Floyd, a professor of communication and psychology at the University of Arizona, whose research focuses on how touch affects the mind and body. “Increases in oxytocin show benefits for the body; it makes us feel calmer and alleviates pain,” Floyd notes.

Father holding his sleeping son. Photo by Seljan Salimova on Unsplash

Upworthy had the pleasure of asking Eric, who lives in Idaho, a couple of questions about the lovely moment.

Upworthy: It was such a beautiful sentiment, the idea of picking up your son for a big hug just before he enters the crux of his teen years. What made you think of this?

Eric: "I have a three-year-old daughter and as Colby’s birthday was approaching I was looking at her thinking back to when he was that age. I just couldn’t believe how fast time has went. My firstborn baby is now a young man. I was then thinking I couldn’t remember the last time I held him, so I decided I will make when the last time is. We’re gonna do one last uppy."

Upworthy: I saw you both got very emotional. Did you talk about it after? Did you expect your son to have such strong feelings?

Eric: "We both had no idea it was going to get emotional. Initially I thought it would be funny. He’s almost as tall as me at 6’4”. I just thought it would be a fun memory but as I was describing it to him, it hit me hard. I started tearing up. Then holding him we both realized what was more sentimental than we realized. He’s my only boy, and we do everything together. When I put him down I saw his tears, and that was unexpected for sure. Then I looked at his stepmom and sister and they both had tears, which hit me even harder."

Eric Guzman poses with his son Colby. Photo Credit: Eric Justice Guzman