A woman’s unusual story involving her father’s ashes is quickly gaining attention on TikTok.
Monica Long, a single mother with three young boys, shared how she discovered something unexpected while cleaning her children’s faces. She was cleaning dirt off her toddlers when the strange discovery happened.
“The boys got Paw Paw,” she said, referring to her two younger children. “They got him and spilled him all over the carpet. I didn’t realize it was Paw Paw, and I vacuumed him up.”
In the video, Long held up an empty cross-shaped container labeled “Paw Paw.”
“They might’ve even eaten some of him,” she added with a chuckle. “Because [my son] had the cap in his mouth.”
Long turned the situation into a lighthearted moment by posting another video showing her toddlers standing next to the vacuum, which was now filled with their grandfather’s ashes. The vacuum had even been humorously labeled “Paw Paw.”
“Quit messing with Paw Paw!” she laughed as the children held onto the vacuum. “He’s been through enough.”
Long later spoke to People magazine, explaining that the event happened while she was getting ready for her youngest child’s birthday party at her home in Colorado. She also mentioned that all three of her children are on the autism spectrum, making her household unpredictable at times.
“Our house is wild. You never know what’s going to happen from one day to the next. My younger two are toddlers, so they’re constantly getting into things,” she said.
She went on to describe how, after stepping away to use the bathroom for just a few minutes, she returned to find her toddlers covered in what appeared to be dirt.
“I thought, ‘Where did all this dirt come from?’ So, I grabbed the vacuum and cleaned it up, then went back to what I was doing,” Long recalled.
However, a few days later, she realized that the container holding her father’s ashes was now empty. She realized her children had somehow managed to climb up and get it down from a shelf, and she had unknowingly vacuumed up the ashes. At that moment, she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.
“The youngest one figured out how to open bottles by biting and unscrewing them, so that’s why they had white dust on their lips,” Long explained. “I just cleaned them off, not thinking much of it. But now I realize they might’ve actually eaten part of their grandfather, which is a bit horrifying.”
Despite the mix-up, the family found humor in the situation. Long’s children’s grandmother even found it amusing. “I told her, ‘The boys got Paw Paw, dumped him out, and I didn’t realize it was him, so I vacuumed him up,’” Long said. “She laughed and said, ‘I bet Paw Paw would’ve found that funny.’ Then she reassured me, ‘Don’t worry, we have more Paw Paw.’”
Many TikTok users also shared their thoughts on the spiritual side of the situation, seeing the humor in it.
“I feel like Paw Paw had a great day,” one commenter wrote.
“Looks like he got to play with his grandkids one last time! So sorry though,” another person added.
One more shared a similar experience: “Some of my dad spilled in my car, and I scooped him up as best I could, but the rest got vacuumed. It still makes me laugh today.”
While the incident was unexpected, it left everyone in good spirits, with Long’s family finding the lighter side of a deeply personal moment.