TikToker asks ‘What made your childhood magical?’ and is not prepared for the answers

Many childhood memories are fueled by nostalgia that makes them seem happier than they probably were — but at the same time, doesn’t it seem like everything was just simpler back then? One TikToker, Emily Wehner, posted a video asking the question, “What made your childhood magical?” and the responses are proof that in an age where it feels like everyone is trying to keep up with the Joneses (and the Joneses are ultra-rich social media influencers), there’s just no need for that, because it truly is the little things that matter.

In the responses that flooded the comments, people shared so many stories about little childhood memories and moments that really do sound magical, but only because of how simple they all were.

“My Dad would play the Indiana Jones theme song to wake us up in the morning for family road trips/vacations,” one person wrote.

Another commented, “On Christmas morning my parents would wake us up sooo early by candlelight and with a cup of hot cocoa, then keep the lights off and light a pathway in tea lights to our Christmas tree and presents!”

Like, what? That sounds absolutely magical.

Another wrote, “We went camping once and my dad ‘found’ an old treasure map. We spent all day following it and found a box of treasure buried at the end. It was so convincing I thought about it for years.”

The comments just kept coming, each one more magical than the last.

“My mom used to make half a cake for our half birthdays.”

“My dad would have us plant cheerios in the garden and the next morning had a dozen donuts sitting on top of where we planted the cheerios.”

“One day on the way to school I told my mom it was my baby dolls birthday. When I got home she had set up an entire birthday party for her.”

“My mom made tooth fairy money by ironing glitter onto dollar bill. They were crisp and so magical!”

“When we would pull in the driveway my dad would tell us to ‘wiggle our nose’ to open up the garage door. We thought we were magic.”

In a follow-up video, Emily posted some of her favorite responses.

She also told Newsweek, “I have been crying real tears as I have been reading through every comment.”

“What has shocked me the most is that most people remember the little things and the way you made them feel,” she added. “Cookies after the first day of school, a song played before every road trip, running barefoot in the summer, streamers on your door on your birthday, feeling really and truly seen and loved. After reading all the comments, I think [the little things] do matter and that our kids see them and appreciate them. If not now, then years from now when they are looking back.”