Woman's Daily Routine With Mom Since Dad Passed Leaves the Internet Bawling

Newsweek

29-04-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A touching moment between a daughter and her mother in hospice care has struck a chord online.
Karen Shields (@realkarencontent), 56, first lady of Arkansas State University and a growing voice on social media, shared a heartfelt video of her 83-year-old mother, Patty Jensen, carefully arranging roses in a vase while seated in a sun-drenched garden. The clip has since gone viral, amassing over 993,000 likes and 4 million views.
"She loves to garden. This spring the roses have been exquisite. I do feel like God gave her and me this gift of seeing and experiencing the beauty of a rose," Shields told Newsweek. "I know it sounds so simple, but at this stage in life you LEARN to appreciate something as simple as a rose. I will cut the roses from the bushes and bring them to her to finish and put in a vase. We do this daily and it makes her very happy. It's almost heaven on earth."
​The TikTok formed part of the "almost forgot this was the whole point" trend which encourages viewers to pause and appreciate meaningful experiences that might otherwise be overlooked in the hustle of daily life. ​
A split image showing Patty Jensen making her floral arrangement.
A split image showing Patty Jensen making her floral arrangement.
@realkarencontent/@realkarencontent
In the video, Jensen—once a dental hygienist from Southern California—sits beside her walker, nicknamed "WALTER," carefully trimming the stems and placing each flower with intention. At one point, she looks up and tells her daughter, "You're the best. Did you know that? You really are. I love you so."
Shields shared that her father passed away in September 2024. In the wake of his death, she moved her mother into the chancellor's residence at Arkansas State, where she lives with her husband, who currently serves as chancellor. The home's downstairs suite—with a bedroom, bath, and a large window overlooking the trees—became Jensen's new sanctuary.
"My amazing dad passed in September 2024. We immediately took her in after that," Shields shared. "I had to go through all the processes of selling her house, going through all their things, financials, insurance, etc. to get her set up in our house. We lived four hours apart at the time. I was traveling back and forth between Jonesboro and Fayetteville as my mom had stage 4 ovarian cancer and my dad was in heart failure."
Now two years into her cancer journey, Jensen is under hospice care and no longer seeking treatment. One nurse comes into her home weekly and recently another nurse comes in to bathe her.
"She manages her pain on her own. She is the sweetest soul I know. And even though this is a very difficult time, her presence brings me peace," Shields said.
Despite the hardship of caring for sick parents, Shields is grateful to having had the extra time with them.
"I know I will look back on this extra time I have with mom and probably our most special time in our relationship," she said. "My husband once said it's beautiful and brutal, as I know she will probably die in the house. That is her wish, to be in her own bed. I know that sounds weird to talk about, but it's reality... I also know this is not her final destination. My faith keeps me strong."
Her mother, despite her diagnosis, has continued to find joy in small moments—and has even gone a bit viral before.
"A couple months ago, she was dancing to a Janet Jackson song while chopping vegetables and Janet reposted it on her stories! So great," Shields said.
Shields thinks sharing an authentic account of caring for her mom can help others and the social media response has been amazing.
"This part of life (parents dying) will happen to EVERYONE and I didn't see a lot out there of people talking about what is actually happening. It's an emotional, physical, next level of learning that we all experience but no one sees it and captures the feelings as there are so many. Mom reads the comments too and is amazed at all the support," she concluded.
The response from viewers has been overwhelmingly emotional:
"'I'm afraid I'll be homesick for you, even in heaven.'—Louisa May Alcott, Little Women," wrote Jaclyn Bohanan.
"I'm crying again, this damn app," said Melanie.
"I cannot handle this. My mom has Frontotemporal dementia and this just wrecked me," shared Sheridan.
"You will play this video over and over for the years to come. What an absolute treasure," commented Vallie.
"My mom passed away last month. What I wouldn't give to hear her say 'I love you' one more time," added another user.
Shields poignantly summarized the experience of navigating love, grief, and memory in the digital age: "I think in this age of technology, (even though I'm posting this on social media I'm aware!)—Life. Gets. Lost. On that TikTok 'I almost forgot this was the whole point' and that line is really accurate. Love on people. Learn to love yourself. Know you are created for purpose."
Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to [e-mail] and they could appear on our site.