Let’s face it. Navigating this world can be stressful and draining. But every so often, something grabs our attention and reminds us that life can honestly be as simple and beautiful as we make it. Take, for example, this darling video of a toddler with Down syndrome singing “You Are My Sunshine” with his older sister, Lydia. His name is Bo Gray.
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According to Us Weekly, the kids’ mom, Amanda Bowman Gray, posted the now-viral heartwarming sing-along video on her Facebook page on Monday with an inspiring message about the benefits of music therapy.
“My daughter Lydia was watching Bo while I was in the shower. Came out to this,” she wrote. “If she didn’t have a guitar I don’t know if she would know how to babysit him. This is her go to. It’s proof that music therapy works. Bo is 25 months old and has a 12-word vocabulary. Every word he has learned has been through music and singing.”
We’re not crying, you’re crying.
Aside from being straight-up adorable, Bowman Gray’s video is also an inspiration — and a testament to the power of music. A study conducted for the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that listening to music can have a profound impact on children with delayed speech development by introducing them to words, patterns and repetition. Additionally, listening to music can help reduce stress and calm children’s nerves while also improving social and communication skills. Though there are many music therapy centers across the country, Gray’s Facebook post is a reminder that there are plenty of ways families can introduce the benefits of music, singing and dance at home.
More:This Boy With Down Syndrome Singing Whitney Houston Will Melt Your Heart
Plus, music is an excellent way for children of all ages to bond. Just look at how lovingly Lydia and 3-year-old Hunter interact with littlest brother Bo in the above video.
As Us Weekly notes, Bowman Gray recently shared a 2016 video of her and her husband singing “You Are My Sunshine” to infant Bo when he was hospitalized following intensive heart surgery. The song, she wrote in a Facebook post, became a way for Bowman Gray and her husband, Caleb, to bond with their son and was soon dubbed his “theme song.”
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If little Bo grows up to be anything like his parents and big sister, he’s going to be quite musically talented.
Here’s to more uplifting, tear-jerking viral videos in 2018. We need it, OK?
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