Parents are ‘breaking their own hearts’ with this new Pedro Pascal trend

It’s literally impossible to go on TikTok right now and not find yourself falling into a hole of Pedro Pascal memes. (Don’t get us wrong — we’re definitely not complaining). One of the newest ones to emerge is the image of Pascal laughing hysterically at something when his emotions suddenly take a turn, going from amused laughter to intense, heaving sobs before you even know it.

The original clip comes from an emotional 2020 video of Pascal during a virtual play reading, but parents across TikTok are now using it to convey the emotional rollercoaster of having kids — particularly when you reflect back on things that have changed in the blink of an eye.

While Pascal laughs/cries in the foreground, melancholy music plays (along with a nostalgic Buzz Lightyear “to infinity and beyond” soundbite from Toy Story), and images from a parent’s camera roll appear in the background using a CapCut template. Together, this makes for some pretty heart-tugging content.

One of the first ones to go viral was posted by @davidson.ella, who used it to share a highly relatable parenting experience.

“When you go down the rabbit hole of old baby pics/vids and you hit the newborn ones,” the video text reads.

A ton of parents quickly chimed in to agree.

“It’s ALWAYS at night and you start to miss them because they’re sleep but all you wished for all day was bedtime,” one commenter shared.

As another mom pointed out, this is often accompanied by another not-so-great feeling: “the horrible regret of not being able to enjoy those precious first moments because of fear, sleep deprivation, no support and just existential dread.”

For some parents, the meme has become a sweet reminder of how far they’ve come.

“when you’re going through old photos from when you were 15 and pregnant & remember how scared/alone you felt and suddenly realize you raised the sweetest boy despite everyones doubts,” shared one mom.

For others, it’s made them rethink certain parts of their day and how their child may have a different perspective on things.

“When you’re excited for bedtime but then realize that the most exciting part of their day is playing with you,” reads the video text on a TikTok by @kitcat5xo.