After spending 20 years as a stay-at-home mom, one woman’s return to work as a nurse left her daughter overwhelmed with emotion.
A TikTok video capturing the moment when her mother shared an update from her first day has gone viral. Maddy Mae Dickinson, 21, from Orlando, Florida, shared the adorable clip online, where it received 6.7 million views and 1.5 million likes. Dickinson spoke to Newsweek about what it meant to see her mom back in action and how she supported her to do it.
“So proud right now because my mom just went back to work after 20 years of being a stay-at-home mom, and now she gets to take little videos of her walk home,” Dickinson captioned the video. “She’s living life for the first time, too.”
@maemomentss/TikTok
A former neonatal intensive care unit nurse in the Army, Dickinson’s mother sent the video message after finishing her first shift back in the field.
“I was extremely proud of her for going back after two decades,” Dickinson said. “She was a NICU nurse…before she decided to become a stay-at-home mom for my three sisters and me. It made me so happy to see her overcoming her fears, doubts and all the other challenges that come with being out of a highly skilled career for so long.”
Now working as a registered nurse in a clinic, Dickinson’s mother’s message immediately brought her daughter to tears.
“I had just arrived home from work when she sent the video,” Dickinson said. “If I am being completely honest, I immediately burst into tears watching it. I could just tell how going back after all those years made her so content, and her confidence soared knowing she was capable of falling right back into nursing.”
As the oldest of four sisters, Dickinson said she has always shared a close bond with her mother, but this new chapter has brought them even closer.
“I just started my first job out of college about two months ago, and now she just started her first job after 20 years. So, in a way, it feels like we are entering the career field at the same time,” she said. “This has strengthened our relationship more than ever because we are both going through similar experiences right now and we have each other to lean on.”
Throughout her mother’s transition back to work, Dickinson has been a constant source of encouragement. She said she provided her mom with many words of affirmation and told her how proud she was of her during the lead-up to her return.
“She calls me every day after work to tell me about her day, and I will always be there to listen, supporting her,” she said.
For others helping loved ones making a similar transition, she believes the most important thing is to simply be present.
“When they want to talk about their day, be there. When they want to question themselves for going back, be there. When they want to know they are doing the right thing, be there,” Dickinson said. “People tend to underestimate the power of simply being present while someone is going through a new experience like this one.”
