Grandpa's Sweet Reaction to Granddaughter's Matching Tattoo Melts Hearts

A woman who got a tattoo to match her grandfather's is making the internet teary-eyed.

In a video shared to TikTok on October 8, user Mimiii (@aimeebh) explained she'd chosen to get two nautical-inspired swallows tattooed on her hands just like her "favorite person," leaving viewers "sobbing."

At the time of writing, the cute clip has received more than 80,000 likes and over 580,000 views.

Home Fast

An Ipsos survey of 1,016 respondents found that 26 percent of Americans have been inked. Nine percent have one tattoo, while 21 percent have two or more.

According to Military.com, nautical tattoos historically have a range of meanings. Some are spiritual in origin, such as the North Star, which symbolizes that a sailor will always find his way home. "Home fast" tattooed on the knuckles was believed to bring good luck, as were compasses, while foot tattoos of roosters or pigs were supposed to prevent drowning during World War II.

Many symbolize where or how far a sailor has traveled. For example, a tattoo of a fully rigged ship meant a seaman had sailed around the Cape Horn, the risky waters around the southern point of South America, while a shellback turtle shows that a sailor has crossed the equator. Hula girls were common on sailors who had stopped in Hawaii, whereas dragons showed they'd traveled to China.

Others represent a significant waypoint in a sailor's career. A single anchor could be found on a merchant marine, while a rope tattooed on a seaman's wrist showed they were employed as a deckhand.

Swallows, such as the ones tattooed on Mimiii and her grandfather, were earned for every 5,000 nautical miles they crossed.

'So Lovely'

In the video, Mimiii showcased the swallow tattoos on her hands side-by-side with her 68-year-old grandfather's faded version. She also showed an old photograph of her grandfather as a young man, wearing a suit giving the middle-finger, as well as family pictures from over the years.

She also shared more recent photos and videos of the two of them together, including her grandfather feeding a fry to a seagull by a harbor, along with a sweet text he sent her reading "Nite nite princess love you. Grandpa xx."

In the final clip, Mimiii shows her grandfather her new swallow tattoos, bringing a huge smile to his face.

TikTokers couldn't get enough of the adorable pair, with user KT "sobbing."

"My grandad had the same, so lovely!!" she wrote.

"This made me cry" said Jade_hols. "I miss my Grandad."

"That bond is everything" commented Danielle Leanne.

While Laura commented: "Please hug your grandpa a lil bit tighter next time you hug him for me. I wish I could hug my grandad again."

Although Mimiii's tattoo story is heartwarming, most designs to go viral are for the wrong reasons. One teen's wolf tattoo was described as "too awful to be real" by Redditors, while a woman was "shocked" after her new tattoo "fell off her face."

Newsweek has reached out to @aimeebh for comment.