To say that 6-year-old Kira Neely is close with her grandpa would be an understatement. According to her mom, Sherrie Neely, Kira and her "Papa" have always had a natural connection, made even stronger by the fact that Papa Marvin lives right across the street from her in Nashville, Tennessee. But recently, the family has had to get a bit creative with how they see one another, especially now that social distancing is being strongly urged across the nation. Over the weekend, little Kira came up with a truly inspired idea that is going viral on social media.
While standing on opposite sides of the same street, the two engaged in an EPIC dance battle.
And it. Was. Glorious.
"Kira came up with the idea of the dance battle!" Sherrie tells CafeMom. "I have no idea how she came up with it, but she knows my dad is always up for anything so I'm sure she thought it would be fun!"
Also a total surprise to the Tennessee mom? The fact that even at 81 years old, G-Pa can still seriously shake it!
"We had no idea he had been hiding those moves, but we're so excited they're out now!" Sherrie says. "My mom was in complete shock and couldn't stop laughing!"
Needless to say, Kira had a total blast busting moves with her grandpa in the middle of the street.
Sherrie says even her dad was surprised when he saw himself on the video after.
"He was completely in the moment and just moving to the music," she recalls.
This isn't the only way Kira and her Grandpa Marvin have been managing to connect while social distancing.
She says they've also been kicking a soccer ball across the street to one another, and Kira has been practicing her cheers and painting for both her grandparents in her spare time.
"They sometimes pull their chairs up to the end of their driveway and we'll just chat and visit with them from across the street," adds Sherrie. "The biggest issue for all of them is they miss hugging each other!"
Feeling "together" while staying apart certainly isn't easy.
That's been a hardship for millions of families across the world, as the elderly appear to be increasingly vulnerable to the spreading virus. But just like everyone else, the Neelys are making it work — even if that means they have to get a bit creative.
Since the video was shared Saturday, it's been viewed more than 746K times and racked up thousands of comments from strangers.
"Absolutely adorable!" wrote one person.
"Sweetest thing ever!" added another.
A lot of people commented on how good it felt to watch something so wholesome — especially right now, given all that's been going on in the world.
"This really made my afternoon, still smiling," one person shared. "And papa has great dance steps."
Sherrie says she's been "completely shocked" by how quickly the video swept Facebook.
"I still can't believe it happened, especially because I'm not very active on social media," she tells CafeMom. "This whole experience has reminded me how incredibly fortunate I am to have my parents living so close to us."
She also can't say enough things about the special relationship that both of her parents share with her daughter Kira, and how much she says it enhances her daughter's life.
Her only hope is that others are also able to find "fun and silly ways to connect" safely with friends and family members during what is turning out to be an overwhelmingly stressful time.
"My dad is such an incredibly sweet and kind person, and it means so much to him that others have been able to laugh and find joy simply by watching him dance with his granddaughter," Sherrie says. "This will always be such a special memory for us, and I'm so thankful Kira will always be able to cherish it."
