Latest news with #BackThen
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Woman Takes photo with Granddaughter, Then Makes Emotional Realization
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. When a California woman decided to have her photograph taken while baking with her granddaughter, she could never have predicted the impact it would have. Photographs can be a powerful tool in helping shape the way we feel about ourselves and our family. In 2023, a survey of 6,000 UK and US adults conducted by The Pulse Business on behalf of family photo journal app BackThen, highlighted just how effective they can be. It revealed that 94 percent of parents polled felt more connected with their families when looking at their child's photos together. The survey also found that 89 percent felt these shared moments amplified their child's sense of belonging. That sense of connection was one Jeralyn Wirtz was undoubtedly left feeling after posing for a picture with her granddaughter last year, during an afternoon of baking in her daughter's kitchen. Yet the true power of the image was not revealed straight away. Jeralyn Wirtz and her granddaughter baking. Jeralyn Wirtz and her granddaughter baking. TikTok/jeriandmike Baking has always played a role in family life for Wirtz. "When my daughter Nicole was a child we loved cooking and baking together in the kitchen," Wirtz told Newsweek. "That's something my late mother and I used to do also, so it was special to share that with my daughter and now my granddaughter." Read more CCTV catches what kids doing in playground—one act leaves teacher horrified CCTV catches what kids doing in playground—one act leaves teacher horrified Though times have changed and Wirtz doesn't get to bake as much as she used to, she never misses an opportunity to get in the kitchen at her daughter's home. "When we visit our grandkids and there's an opportunity to bake together, we love it!" she said. "It's such a great way to bond and make memories together." A shared desire to make memories from their time together is what led to Wirtz being snapped alongside her granddaughter in the kitchen on that particular day. It's a wonderful snapshot of family life with both Wirtz and her granddaughter smiling and happy together in the home. Captured on Wirtz's phone, the image was one she treasured for the year that followed, happy to look back on and smile from time to time. But it took on a new meaning a few weeks later, after Wirtz made an unexpected discovery. "I was going through old photo albums and ran across one of my daughter when she was younger baking cookies. I put it aside because I wanted to post it," Wirtz said. "Then a few weeks later I found the picture of my granddaughter and I baking from last year that I had saved on my phone." Looking at the two images, side by side, Wirtz had a moment of realization. "I got chills because my granddaughter looked exactly like her mother back then. The same pose and smile— they looked identical," Wirtz said. "It was surreal and brought back so many precious memories." Wirtz and her husband of 47 years Michael, have a significant following on their TikTok, @jeriandmike, so she decided to create a slideshow comparing the two pictures for her followers to see. "We love posting old family photos and memories throughout our lives so I knew our audience would really enjoy it because there's such a striking resemblance in each photo," she said. The video got a huge response with over 340,000 views and counting since being shared last month. "Omg they're twins! Momma really copied and pasted herself," one user commented. "You telling me that's not the same person?" another asked. Wirtz has been blown away by the response. "I love reading all the comments because it really inspired other people to look at their old family photos and reminisce about their childhood memories with their parents and grandparents," she said. Wirtz thinks that's why her post has proven such a big hit and why photographs are such a power tool. "Everyone can relate to this and still hold those memories so close to their hearts," she said.
Newsweek
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Woman's Wild Discovery Watching Dad's Old Home Movies: 'For His Eyes Only'
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 woman got more than she bargained for while looking back through her dad's home movies from when she was growing up in the 1990s. Few things bring families together quite like looking back through old photographs. A 2023 poll of 11,000 parents conducted by The Pulse Business on behalf of family photo journal app BackThen found 94 per cent of respondents said looking at their child's photos together as a family helped them to feel more connected to each other. In the same poll, 89 per cent of parents said they felt looking at family photos increased their child's sense of belonging. For families like Kelly Brouk's, looking back through home movies, recorded on her dad's old VHS camcorder, serves as an extension of this. Brouk and her two siblings enjoy few things more than "reminiscing over old memories." Kelly Brouk saw her mom and dad's relationship in a whole new light. Kelly Brouk saw her mom and dad's relationship in a whole new light. Instagram/motherknowswest_ "We have hours upon hours of home videos," Brouk told Newsweek. "My Dad was the quintessential 90s Dad—always with a Camcorder in tow. He captured SO many memories we still watch and laugh about to this day." But Brouk has been forced to reassess some of those memories now after discovering several clips among the hours of footage filmed, in which her dad is focusing his camera work on her mom and certain parts of her anatomy. "I had no clue he was also capturing footage meant for his eyes only... or so he thought," Brouk said. "The only reason I stumbled upon those clips is because I've been sorting through each tape to create compilations for each family member—Mom's turn being the most recent." While the focus of the coverage took her by surprise, Brouk has been able to assess it better as an adult than she likely would have if she had stumbled upon it growing up. "I likely would've been horrified if I happened upon that footage as a kid but now, especially as a wife and mom myself, thought it was hilarious and obviously had to share it with the world," she said. Brouk shared several clips to Instagram under the handle @motherknowswest_ where they quickly garnered attention, amassing more than 60,000 views since being posted at the end of May. "I think my parents might've cuddled more than three times," she captioned the clip. Brouk's mom and dad have had contrasting reactions to their viral fame. "When I told my Mom, she asked, 'How many people have seen my butt?!?' and my Dad just laughed, not at all ashamed of his actions," she said. Though Brouk posted the footage poking fun at the less than "wholesome" nature of what was being filmed, the reaction in some quarters has been heartwarming. "A lot of people have expressed they wish their own parents were that in love," she said. "I'm beyond blessed to have parents that have but laughed and prayed together, and also embarrassed each other, for 40 years this November!" So while it might have caught her by surprise to uncover evidence of her dad ogling her mom, she's all for it. "I recognize how rare longevity in relationships is these days and in some weird way, I'm very glad to have evidence of their love and lust forever," she said.
