As humans, all kinds of things can make us cry, from the sad to the surprising, from the happy to the heart-rending. These Reddit users tell us about the last time they cried and why, and their stories are sad, heartwarming, and sometimes hilarious. So, get out your tissues, because the last time you cry may very well be after reading this.
1. Funny Family Moment
I teared up last year when my son was born. It was such an unexpected emotion. Last night I was feeding my now 10-month-old, and he was in turn feeding my old Doberman, and it just hit me like a wave: Everything was perfect in that moment. I cried a little bit out of happiness. My wife started crying, too. Then my kid started laughing uproariously and my dog barked so loud that he farted! It was a perfect moment.
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2. Unexpected Reaction
My wife and I were driving, and she got too close to the car in front of us and had to slam her brakes. One of us let out the most hilarious, rubber-chicken sounding scream we've ever heard. I genuinely thought it was her until she pointed out that she was talking at the time and the scream actually came from my side of the vehicle.
I didn't remember screaming. I just remembered hearing the sound. We had to pull over into a parking lot, we were laughing so hard we both had tears in our eyes.
3. Painful Memories
I lost my son to cancer a few years ago, just a few weeks after his 13th birthday. He was the toughest kid, super smart, way happier and more positive than a kid fighting his battles had a right to be. He was special. Every dad thinks that of their kids, but it's true. On Saturday, my youngest decided to swap keyboards and broke something on the computer.
After hours of trying to restore and repair to no avail, and after a lot of frustration and misplaced anger, I decided to wipe the drive and reinstall the system. Wiping drives makes me nervous because I can't get over the idea of losing something, a video, picture, homework assignment...After getting upset with my kid, I finally get the system up-and-running again.
I open a random file. Its contents broke my heart. There is my late son as a first-grader, the way I remember him from well before his cancer, with that kind smile on his face and mouthful of missing teeth. In a heartbeat, I was confronted with how I'd mistreated my youngest and got angry over something stupid. All of the emotion that was bottled up inside just boiled over.
I crumpled right there and silently sobbed. I didn't need those missing teeth to remind me of how badly I miss my kid. Time doesn't heal wounds when the lost time IS the wound.
4. A Kind Interaction
I made a customer at work today cry and that made me cry. I work for a grocery store that's known for having good customer service. There are a lot of things I hate about my job, but this emphasis on customer service is the best part of it. This woman was buying pasta and I suggested that it would be great with our garlic olive oil.
I gave her a bottle that had the barcode accidentally blacked out, so I told her this was on us. I was so confident it'd be a good combination. For some reason, she started to cry. If you're out there, I'm so sorry for whatever is happening in your life that led to such an emotional response to my small gesture. I wish I could've done more.
I really hope I was right about that combination and that the next time you come in there are no tears and only smiles.
5. Unchained Melody
Yesterday, my best friend was feeling down and wanted to borrow my guitar for a while so she could have a creative outlet. I brought it over and she looked up some chords, fumbled around, and began to sing. She hasn't sung in a long time for a number of reasons, despite the fact that she has an absolutely beautiful voice that everyone loves.
I always tell her that, but she never actually listens. Hearing her sing and play and seeing her slowly smile more and more was the best thing I could have asked for. I cried a little bit at how wonderful it was. I'm honestly hoping she was too engrossed to notice.
6. A Coincidence
I’m a nurse, and the other day my patient took out his prosthetic upper palate in his mouth to reveal the bullet hole where he shot himself six years ago. He told me he was so glad it didn't work because if it had, he never would have met people like me. I immediately went to the locker room and cried and cried all the way home tonight. Because I'm hiding a dark secret.
He has no idea I've been having suicidal thoughts for months.
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7. Constant Companion
I cried the other day. I recently separated from my wife, and it was a very difficult goodbye. I listened to my cat meow and cry as I drove to my new apartment. When I got in the door and let him out, he was really confused. We were both in a weird new place and kind of scared. I broke open. It's just us now, and we'll be fine.
8. Life Changing Story
I went to a Victim Impact Panel a few months ago because I had driven under the influence. Towards the end of the presenter's speech, she talked about her experience as a first responder and how she had to deliver the news of fatalities to families. I was imagining my mom hearing about an accident and I was holding back tears.
Afterward, when everybody was leaving, I made sure to be the last one out. We hugged and I cried on her shoulder. I thanked her for her insight and for opening my eyes to just how dangerous and heartbreaking those decisions can be, not only to the driver but also to their families.
9. A Surprising Friendship
A while ago, I adopted this stray dog who wandered into our work site. I named him Bruno. He was super playful and the cutest mutt ever. Any time work got too stressful or my anxiety got the better of me, I'd leave the office and walk out to the car park where he always was. I have spent 30 minutes almost every day rubbing his tummy.
Just by the sound of my truck coming down the hill to the office, he'd know it was me and prepare his assault on my clean work pants with his dirty paws. One day, I was outside giving him his usual rub when I was called out to make a run in my truck. I must have been gone for only 15 minutes. I came back to absolutely horrific news.
When I was returning to my office site, I saw the reddish mane of my buddy Bruno all wet and sodden just lying in the middle of the road. I told myself it couldn't be him. I parked my truck in the office, and a few of my employees told me the bad news. They saw a car hit him. Being their employer, I played it cool and we buried him on site here.
As soon as I was left alone, I collapsed in anguish. I have never cried so hard in my life. Any time I would pull up to work and begin parking, the fact there was no excited mutt to navigate around anymore just broke me up.
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10. Bad Dreams
Yesterday I had a dream that my stepmom was kicking me out of the house because she found "something on my phone.” I was confused because it needs my fingerprint, and as far as I knew there wasn't anything incriminating on it. The worst part of the dream was the smirk on her face as the tears started falling on my face. I woke up sobbing, it was so real.
11. Bittersweet News
My wife and I have been trying to get pregnant for three years now with no luck. We've been to the fertility doctor several times, they ran several tests on both of us, we’ve done IUI. The whole nine yards. Still nothing. It’s been a long, emotional journey for both of us. A couple of days ago, a friend came home from a stay abroad. She told us news that devastated us.
She had just gotten married in September, and came home to see family and announce her pregnancy. We're happy for them, but it still hurts. I just couldn't hold it in anymore.
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12. Harrowing Visit
This morning. My girlfriend told me that she, her brother, and her sister-in-law were going to drive to prison to visit her older brother, who is doing 10 to 15 years for a possession charge. His older daughter had passed suddenly, and they were going to break the news to him. I just want to hug all three of them in my arms right now.
13. Lost and Found
My cat ran away when my family moved into a new house last summer. I guess the hustle and bustle of the day freaked him out and when my dad let him outside, he decided to get the heck out of dodge. We tried to find him, but we assumed he had to be dead after two weeks went by with no sign. We were sad, but my family and I tried to move on.
But about two months later, we made an incredible discovery. The night before I went down to college actually, my mom found him alive and well on the side of the road near our house. He was way skinnier than before but otherwise, he seemed in good health. He's been with us ever since…and we don't let him outside anymore.
14. Unexpectedly Moved
I cried a few weeks ago, when one of my best friends told me he's going to be a dad. I can go for months and months without shedding a single tear, but this news got me really emotional, in the best sense of the word. It was an eye-opening experience for me, I had no idea I was capable of feeling such things, and I'm so glad to hear the news.
15. A Loving Dad
Every now and then, I'll get thoughts in my head that my son might get sick or hurt in some awful way, and it really makes me tear up. I have primary custody as a dad, which isn't that common, and I am trying not to fail as a parent. Maybe it’s because I’m a guy, but I try not to cry about much. But this got me, and always gets to me.
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16. Heartbreaking Reply
My adoptive nephew found a clip on YouTube today of a cop explaining to some kids what they should do when mommy or daddy was hurting them. When one of the kids said that he wished he had known about it before...that did it.
17. Happy Tears
I actually cried five hours ago. My two-year-old son who has cerebral palsy let go of his walking frame and took seven steps towards me. He's never walked before, and we were told not to expect him to be able to.
18. An Eventful Night
On Friday, I took one of my best friends out to see a movie for his birthday and we went bar hopping for Cinco de Mayo afterward. At 11:30, I was about four drinks deep and feeling pretty tired after a long week at a new job, so I bid him good night and went home. I assumed he had done the same...until a few days later.
Yesterday I was out shopping and sent him a text and he replied, "I didn't spend last night in my own bed, hahaha." Apparently, he stayed out and picked up a cute nurse at another bar. I've had a hard year with sporadic employment, living with my parents, and my brother’s health issues. I’ve also been going through a difficult time with my girlfriend.
Overall, I feel very far from a place where I could stroll into a bar and pick a girl to chase into bed. A big pang of jealousy and yearning hit me, and I cried a bit in my car before replying with "Good job, dude!"
19. Reading Release
I came out as queer to my mother a few months ago, and things have been on a steady decline since then. Last night, she told me that she doesn't care what happens to me, doesn't want me in her life anymore, and asked that I don't try to contact her again. Weirdly enough, that's not the part that made me cry. That came later.
I stumbled across a comic by a queer artist that I love. For some reason, the comic hit me hard and made me cry. It's about the passing of the artist's mother, and though my mother is alive and well, I've lost her in a different way. I felt like an idiot for crying so hard at a comic, but I couldn't help it.
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20. A Second Family
I cried at my friends' wedding yesterday, during the in-ceremony speech by the father of one of the grooms. The other groom's father had declined to come because his son was marrying a man. The dad got up there to tell them both how proud he is of them, and to tell the other groom that as far as he is concerned, he’s his son now, too.
21. Keepsakes
I haven't cried in a while because my friends would attack me for being "weak." But the last time I really cried was when I found the obituary for my grandfather. I never met him, but I had heard stories from my father. Most of these stories were not good stories, because he was an alcoholic and was not the best parent to my father.
Although he wasn't a great man, I was still sad to see this grandfather who I will never meet. Really just a ghostly memory of him. I found the obituary in a book on my shelf; it had been laminated into a bookmark. I sat and cried over that thing for more than an hour. I'm still sad that I never got to meet him, no matter how troubled his life was.
22. The Power Of Song
I dated this girl for three years, from the beginning of sophomore year of high school to our first year in college. We went through an exceptionally bad breakup, and during that time she had a friend who would listen to her talk about us. Yesterday, I found out something that made my heart jolt. This friend was a musician and had written a song about our breakup. But that's not all.
The song was written from my ex's perspective, and listening to it I finally understood what my ex had been saying the whole time. I cried for an hour straight.
23. Next Time, Go With Friends
I was waiting to be asked to prom by my boyfriend. But "let's ditch prom and go paint-balling" turned into "let's go to a movie" which turned into, at the last minute, "something came up." My expectations had to keep getting lower and lower, until I couldn't have any expectations at all. I cried. Teenage hormones probably didn’t help.
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24. Proud Parent
My son is in eighth grade and had his first paid gig today as a singer. I was in the audience crying like a lunatic.
25. Moving Day
I'd spent several months fixing up my family's house to sell. It was our first house, and although it wasn’t anything amazing, it was where our family memories began, so it was important in that way. On the last day, I was very happy that the end of the work was in sight, but to my complete surprise, tears started flowing as I drove away that evening.
26. The Eye Of The Storm
The last time I cried was Sunday. Since Christmas, my wife has had an onset of insomnia and anxiety which trigger panic attacks. She had one while I was at work and called me. When I was free to call back, my son answered the phone. I was sobbing listening to my six-year-old talk her through the breathing exercises we had practiced. That kid gets ice cream for life, no questions asked.
27. I’ll Be There For You
A couple of months ago, my daughter made a heart-wrenching confession. She said she was worried about me dying before her. I’m 42 and healthy, so I talked to her about how long I am likely to live and that she will probably be an adult when I pass. She replied, "But when you die, will you help me, because I need you so much." I lost it.
28. See You Soon
My marriage was on the verge of collapse when my ex-wife got a job offer in another state. She had been unemployed for some time, so she had to take the job. We decided I should stay behind, since I had a steady job and our divorce was inevitable. We both knew it at the time. My wife moved out, and the kids stayed with me until she got settled.
Taking my kids to the airport and putting them on a plane to move away was soul-crushing. I held it together until they boarded the plane, then I lost it. My kids only lasted a few months with mom before moving back to live with me.
29. Live And Learn
A month ago, I was yelling at my kids because they were misbehaving, and I put them to bed early. I broke down afterward and cried on the stairs. I had yelled too much and said unnecessary things during the altercation. My wife talked with me on the stairs, and it turned into a turning point in my life. I'm doing much better with them now.
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30. Holding Out Hope
The last time I cried was July 2019. I surprised my long-distance girlfriend for her birthday after not seeing her for three months. Her reaction was bland, which shook me a bit, but I thought that maybe she was tired from college and work. I'd gotten us a nice AirBnB so we could have some privacy, but nothing felt right. I soon found out why.
On our last night, we were listening to music and she was sitting on the bed pressed against the wall, eyes closed. I was laying on my stomach when a song we loved started playing. I teared up and covered my face with my arm. That moment, I realized our relationship had peaked and it was only going to be downhill ahead.
She asked me what was wrong and then I opened up about my doubts. She started crying as well and confirmed everything I said. We promised to try and bring back the spark we once had. We broke up three months later. I miss that girl.
31. Reaching Out
This last weekend, after a night of drinks, a very good friend of mine and I ended the night at her apartment. We had been chatting about nothing for a while when she redirected the conversation. She began to beam and told me how she’s proud of the man I’ve become. She talked about my character and how I treat people around me.
She then told me about the things I do that she admires, things that I thought no one noticed. It was a very tender moment, and I couldn’t help tearing up. I’ve never had a friend say such beautiful things about me. I don’t know what I would do without her. To say that she’s an amazing person wouldn’t be enough, and I'm so happy she's in my life.
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32. Long Distance Friendship
I moved from the West coast to the East coast almost two years ago. I still don't really know anybody here, I just go from work to home, home to work, etc. Last month, I got a birthday package from my best friend of a little over 10 years. She sent me a funny T-shirt and made this huge card with practically a novel written inside of it.
In it, she talked about all the things she had been up to lately: Her new boyfriend, her upcoming promotion at work, her family, and her travel plans. It just hit me that we'd been friends for so long and she's finally hitting all these huge milestones in her life, and I'm not there for any of it like I always thought I would be.
I opened the box, put on the shirt, and called to thank her. We ended up chatting for two hours until my phone battery was drained. Once the call ended, I just broke down. It was the first time I can remember crying since I was 17 or 18.
33. Sweet Dreams
I often have dreams where my dog Snoopy is there. He passed away almost five years ago. In my dream, I will recognize this and say to myself, "Wait, Snoopy’s gone, how is this possible?" Then somehow, my longing for him to be alive again overwhelms the logical part of my mind, and I rationalize that he actually didn't pass at all.
When that happens, I’m able to enjoy playing with my best friend again and having him come along on my adventures. When I wake up, though, I have to come to the sad realization that he is gone all over again. I enjoy being able to see him again in dreams, but it can be emotionally overwhelming too. So, some days I wake up and cry because I miss my best friend.
34. So Far Away
About a year ago, I moved to Japan. At one point, the person who was watching my dogs called me and said they had gotten out and he couldn't find them. He checked the pound but found nothing. I love my dogs, and I was 7,000 miles away and could do nothing to help. Then two weeks later, my coworker called me out of the blue. That phone call saved my life.
They said: "I have your dogs! I found them at a park together. They were hungry and afraid, but safe." I'm a grown man, but I cried so much. They are here with me now and very happy and healthy.
35. Sweet Realization
I cried once after my daughter was born. I was just lying there with her on my chest, and she was so cozy and calm. And then it all just hit me that this little thing is going to grow up one day and have opinions and existential questions that are worthy of respect. Like a real human being. I really felt my dad instincts kicking in hard right then.
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36. Surprise!
I had been having a really rough week and was heading home from work. My girlfriend was at work at the time, so I knew I’d get home to an empty house. But when I got home, I saw that she had set up a bath, put balloons everywhere, written me sweet messages, and stocked up on my favorite drinks. It made me cry that she cared so much.
37. Congratulations!
My friends from high school just got married yesterday. As I watched them standing up there, looking at one another, I was overwhelmed by how much love I could sense between them. It was really unlike anything else in my life. Feeling so happy for my friend in this truly special moment, I definitely shed a tear or three!
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38. Dream Girl
As silly as it sounds, before I had a girlfriend, I used to daydream sometimes about what it would be like to have somebody who I really cared about and who truly cared about me, too. I could never come up with what this dream girl would be like, but I did land on a certain feeling. Fast forward to last night. My girlfriend showed me a photo album with a list of "cute" things I did. I got that feeling. It was the first time I cried in a long time.
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39. True Devotion
The last time I full-on cried was because of my cat. I got her when she was a kitten and for the first time, in a very long time, I truly loved something. And then within a few days of having her, I was told by the vet she might die if she wouldn't eat or drink water. I cried three times in a span of two days because of this.
I got her, fell in love, and then I was so worried it was all going to be ripped away. I wanted her to get better, but there was only so much I could control. I took her to the emergency vet just days after getting her, they gave her some meds, and she started eating shortly after. I was sobbing with relief when I saw her finally eat. It was the biggest roller coaster of emotions I've ever felt. Now, she's two years old and a very healthy little terror.
40. A Dear Friend
The last time I cried was on November 19. My father lost a battle with melanoma a few days before at 78 years old. I am very fortunate that I had a father who never thought he was as good as he really was. Over the last 10 years or so, our relationship turned into friendship. Sadly, I lived 1,000 miles away from him, but we talked on the phone regularly.
I got to see him eight or nine times after his diagnosis, and he always tried so hard to be "up" when I was around. At his memorial, I met hundreds of people whom he had an effect on. I got to say a few words and share how glad I was to have his friendship, and how much I will miss it. I barely made it through my speech. I miss that old man.
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41. The Long Run
The last time I cried was in April. It was as soon as I saw my wife at the finishing line of the London Marathon. All the months of training for my first marathon, the exhaustion of battling to the end, and the knowledge that we raised thousands for the hospital that cared for our eldest son. I was completely overwhelmed, to say the least.
42. Perilous Journey
In March, my best friend's brother was climbing in the mountains in Colorado. Then disaster struck. He went missing. There was a two-day search, and even his own parents were convinced he was dead. My heart was broken for them all. Turns out, he was alive...and walking! He'd fallen just over 2,000 feet, dislocated his elbow, and broke his pelvis in a couple of places.
He also survived two nights in freezing weather and 100 mph winds. He's okay now, but it truly was a rollercoaster ride!
43. The Eleventh Hour
The University of Amsterdam deadline was last week Sunday at 23:59, and of course, I was so anxious that I started work on the 19-page application at 22:30pm that same Sunday. And like all my other work, it wasn't done on time, so I sent it in two days late, on Tuesday. The next day at noon, they sent me an email of acceptance. I just cried out of gratitude that my lazy mistake didn’t mess up my plans!
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44. Helping Hand
I pulled an all-nighter last Thursday night because I needed more time to finish my undergraduate thesis. I ended up working late into the next Friday as well! I had to call into my on-campus work to try to get a sick day to finish the thesis in time to get it printed. I was worried my boss would be angry or would force me to come in.
But my boss told me "You're a student first and a worker second. Let me know if you need more time off." It was probably just how tired I was, but that had me.
45. A Voice In Your Head
Earlier today, I was thinking about my nan who passed away years ago, and I came to the realization that I can no longer remember her voice. I want to cry just typing this.
46. At Long Last
The last time I cried was when my wife and I saw and heard our baby in the 12-week scan. We've tried and failed to get pregnant for a long time, and up to now, IVF hasn't been successful. This was our very last chance...
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47. Phew!
The last time I cried was last Tuesday, after my math final. I walked out in tears since I was certain I failed, which would mean I'd be suspended from the university. I got my results back on Thursday and ended up passing. I cried happy tears then!
48. An Unforgettable Gift
My girlfriend is going away for work this week, and she'll be gone for a few months. We haven't been together very long, but we were made for each other. I used to think that love at first sight and stuff like that was just something people said. But it's real. Anyway, we were having lunch a few days ago and she told me she had a gift.
She then pulled out a framed picture of her and I at a party. It was a candid picture a friend took of her smiling while I was whispering in her ear. It was the nicest gift I've ever gotten. Sure, we have plenty of photos together on our phones, but just holding that picture of us together was special. I mean, who still develops photos?
I started crying like a baby. Because there is another layer to photo. In the picture, I was whispering to her that she was my soulmate. And she is.
49. Reunion
About a month ago, I ran into an ex at a conference. She had a neurological issue when I was involved with her which has since worsened from fainting spells to include pretty massive memory loss. She came up to me after a seminar and asked if we'd met, because my face looked so familiar to her...but she didn't know who I was. Heartbreaking.
50. Last Chance
My fiancée’s little guy hit another kid at school last week, and I was telling him stories about my own experiences with being bullied as a kid. I was remembering the one kid I decided to let off the hook after he broke my nose. He was on his last strike at a boy’s home and would be sent to juvenile detention. The principal said it was my call.
My mom told a then 11-year-old me: "It's your choice here, but we have to remember he has a hard life. He doesn't have a mom to hug him and tell him she loves him.” I have tears rolling down my face again just writing this. I can't imagine the pain someone so young would feel being tossed away by their parents. I'm glad I made the choice I did.
Sources: Reddit,
