Life with toddlers is full of surprises, but one Colorado mom got the shock of her life when her young sons accidentally got into something she never imagined—her late grandfather’s ashes. What followed was a mix of horror, humor, and a viral TikTok moment that left millions of viewers in stitches.
Monica Long, a single mother of three, shared the hilarious yet shocking incident on TikTok, where she described her toddlers’ unexpected “playtime” discovery. While preparing for a birthday party, Monica stepped away for a few minutes. Upon returning, she found her 2- and 3-year-old boys covered in what appeared to be white dirt.
“I thought, ‘Where did this dirt come from?’” she recalled. Unaware of the true nature of the mess, she vacuumed it up and carried on with her day.
It wasn’t until later that Monica discovered the “dirt” wasn’t dirt at all—it was the cremated remains of her grandfather, affectionately known as PawPaw.
A Shocking Realization
Days after the incident, Monica noticed the container that housed PawPaw’s ashes sitting empty on a high shelf. Her climber toddlers had managed to scale up, open the container with their teeth, and scatter the ashes everywhere.
“They got him,” Monica exclaimed in her now-viral TikTok video. “They dumped him out all over my carpet. And I didn’t realize it was PawPaw, so I vacuumed him up.”
But the real kicker? One of the boys had the container cap in his mouth, leading Monica to suspect they may have even tasted PawPaw’s ashes.
A Family That Laughs Together
While the situation initially left Monica torn between laughter and tears, her family’s reaction brought comfort. When she called her grandmother to confess what had happened, her MawMaw found the story comical.
“She said, ‘Don’t worry—we have more PawPaw,’” Monica shared, laughing at the absurdity of the situation.
Monica believes her late grandfather would have found the incident amusing as well. A Vietnam veteran, school principal, and teacher, PawPaw had a sense of humor that his family fondly remembers.
TikTok Reacts with Humor
Monica’s TikTok video, featuring her holding the now-empty urn, quickly went viral, amassing millions of views and comments.
“I’m sorry, but the laugh I let out when you said ‘the boys got PawPaw,’” one commenter wrote.
Another added, “PawPaw is probably laughing his ashes off right now!”
One viewer summed it up beautifully: “He lives on in those who loved him—and now in all of us who know this story.”
