What do you get the people who gave you life, a roof over your head, and an abundance of love for Christmas? Well, if you're Joe Riquelme, you give them financial freedom. The Latino app develop won at Christmas and at life this past week when he handed his parents a handwritten note explaining he'd paid off their mortgage. The emotional gift exchange was caught on video and has since been posted on Youtube, where it's gone on to make more than 2 million people ugly cry in glee! I hope you're wearing waterproof mascara, chicas, because you're about to become one of them.
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Joe and his parents were cuddling on the couch, basking in their post-gift-exchange afterglow, when the creator the mobile app Videoshop pulled an envelop out of his pocket and handed it to his mother. "I have one more gift for you," explains Joe. "Both of you." His mother, suspecting it must be something special, opens the envelop to find what appears to be a bill from Bank of America, with a handwritten note attached to it. "You're your house is paid off. Merry Xmas.—Joe," the note reads, alongside a checklist of all Joe's parents accomplishments. Cue the waterworks!
Joe's mother dissolves into a fit of happy tears before handing the letter to her husband. "No, hijo," he sighs in utter disbelief before joining his wife in hugging and kissing their thoughtful son. I'm not exaggerating when I say I ugly cried like a Kardashian the first, second and third times I watched this video clip. But can you blame me?
I, like a lot of Latinos out there, see myself in the young entrepreneur. We all just want to make our parents proud. I texted my mother a link to Joe's video this morning, along with a message explaining as much. Her response: "You do, loca! Every single day."
As my mother explains it, Joe's parents are moved by his financial gesture, sure, but they're also proud to have raised such a thoughtful kid. In my mom's words, "A house would be nice. But gratitude is and always will be the best gift a kid could give their parent. Punto. Blank. Period." Leave it to mami to put everything in perspective. I couldn't be more grateful for her.
Image via Joe Riquelme/Facebook
