Dad Melts Hearts As 'Precious' Daily Messages to His Daughter Go Viral

Leaving for college can sometimes drive a wedge between a young adult and her family—but one woman and her dad have become closer than ever.

A viral TikTok video revealed the elaborate, and hilarious text messages exchanged between creator Megan Lawton (@meg_lawton) and her father. Lawton, 30, spoke to Newsweek about their relationship and how it has evolved. Since the video was posted, it has delighted the internet, receiving over 950,000 views and over 50,000 likes.

"Texts from my dad that I think about often," she captioned the video. "He's not a [thumbs up] kind of guy."

The texts start off strong and random: "Morning kid, hope you are OK. There is a horse in field at back of our house, I think he/she is depressed, stands still for hours gazing over fence. I will try to talk to horse. Have a good day."

Another text finds Lawton's dad asking if she would like a drone. When she says no, explaining that she wouldn't use it, he says that's a "real shame" and opts to get her a radio control boat instead. He also asks her if she'd like a World War II flying jacket.

Lawton hash-tagged the video with "#girldad." She told Newsweek that she and her father are "super close," but not without growth and effort.

"I'm an only child...Growing up, we often clashed because I saw him as more of a brother—see his childish jokey ways—and hated him telling me what to do," she said. "But now I have nothing but love and appreciation for him."

Since Lawton moved away from home, she said chats with her dad have become more frequent.

"Ever since I moved away to university, my dad has texted me every day," she said. "It initially started as a welfare check, but 12 years on, it's grown to be a sweet daily occurrence and something I always look forward to...So precious."

When Lawton wouldn't reply in time to his messages, her father would sometimes follow up with a text: "Are you okay kid, doting and concerned dad?" But now, the tables have turned. Lawton said if she doesn't get her daily text from her dad in time, she is the one who begins to worry.

After her video went viral, Lawton said the positive reaction to her father was a bit mind-boggling.

"I always knew he was a special character and that I was incredibly lucky to have him but seeing everyone's kind reactions to him...has been overwhelming."

Viewers in the comments praised him for being so "present" but also for understanding his daughter's need for space. He, in turn, seems to love Internet fame.

"He is very humbled at his mini TikTok stardom!" Lawton said.