At his wedding, groom Luke Rheault had planned to do a special mother-son dance with his mom Rebekah, who had been diagnosed with ALS a year before the nuptials.
Once the song, "Hero" by Mariah Carey, started playing, Luke said something felt off. His mom was sitting in her wheelchair and Luke was towering over her. So he did something unexpected and sweet and got down on his knees for the duration of the dance.
"I remember feeling uncomfortable standing above her for the first few moments of the dance -- it just didn't feel normal, and that's when I got down on my knees and danced with her," Luke told The Huffington Post. "I had no idea of the impact it had on everyone until they had told me."
Credit: Magdalena Photography
"I wanted her to feel so special in that very moment, so I tried to make the best of it and spin her around and continue smiling with her," Luke added. "I don't recall at any point in the wedding thinking that these might be my last few moments with my mother. So I did what felt right at the time, and I'm really glad I did because it's a memory that has well-served its purpose."
Credit: Magdalena Photography
Luke and his wife Kristeena tied the knot in November 2008 at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. But it wasn't until March 2015 that the bride decided to post the heartbreakingly beautiful video to YouTube.
Sadly, Rebekah died in September 2009 -- less than a year after she and her son shared their dance.
"There was not a dry eye in the house, everyone was so touched by the dance," the bride Kristeena told HuffPost. "The tears started as soon as Luke dropped down to his knees to dance with her. You can see Luke's daughter Arianna in the background crying and hugging my mother and then Luke's father."
It wasn't until Wednesday that Luke watched the dance in its entirety for the first time. He said it's brought on a wave of emotion and many wonderful memories.
"I found myself reliving all that this woman did for me -- everything that she embodied as a mother and everything she taught me to be," he said. "I tell it to everyone: 'It's a void that can never be filled.' I've never considered myself to be a mama's boy, but I've always appreciated everything she has done for me. Growing up and getting older enhances the power of those feelings."
Credit: Magdalena Photography
Watch the powerful video above. And we must warn you: tears are inevitable.
Related
Before You Go
