Music has the magic ability to help us express ourselves when words just aren’t enough. It has a unique power to help us live in the moment as we focus on each note, beat and lyric. Music can also bring people together like nothing else whether it’s through dancing, singing or simply listening.
A beautiful video posted to TikTok by Kelsey Fry shows how music helped create a moment between mother and daughter that they both hoped could last forever.
According to Good Morning America, Fry’s mother, Christie Geraty, has been battling terminal non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for 15 years and she knew that last Christmas would be the final one with her family. On that bittersweet holiday, Fry took a moment to play Taylor Swift’s “The Best Day” for her mother to show how much she cared.
“Taylor Swift has been in my life for as long as my mom has had cancer,” Fry told Good Morning America. “[My mother’s] battle is coming to an end now, but after 15 years, I can honestly say that [Swift’s] music is like therapy for us.”
Swift wrote “The Best Day” about her family but its primary focus is when her mother was there to support her during difficult times. The song was the perfect way to pay tribute to her mom on the family’s last Christmas together.
I didn’t know if you knew
So I’m taking this chance to say
That I had the best day with you today
@kelseymorganfry needed a permanent spot for this moment ❤️
It’s incredibly moving to see how Geraty wants to take in every moment with her daughter because she won’t have many more left. It’s a reminder to all of us to appreciate the people we love in our lives because our time is finite.
“The wonder on her face watching you it’s like she’s memorizing everything about you,” Rachel wrote in the comments.
Fry’s voice breaks up a bit when she sings the line “God smiles on my little brother, inside and out he’s better than I am,” because her 16-year-old brother passed away unexpectedly in February.
“I know a lot of people don’t understand the Taylor Swift obsession, but her lyrics have gotten me through every season of my life, including this last Christmas with my mama,” Fry captioned the video.
@kelseymorganfry
Fry posted a follow-up video of her playing Swift’s song “Soon You’ll Get Better” for her mother while her own daughter sings along.
And I hate to make this all about me
But who am I supposed to talk to?
What am I supposed to do
If there’s no you?
If her mother’s terminal cancer and brother’s unexpected death weren’t enough, Fry’s third child was diagnosed with a rare liver disease that requires a transplant. But the lessons she’s learned from her mother have carried her through all the pain.
“After wrestling how to handle such crummy situations, we decided that we didn’t really have another choice other than to choose joy for the rest of our lives and that’s something that my mom has taught us time and time again,” said Fry.