What Andrew Garfield and Elmo Can Teach Us About Grief

An unexpected crossover between Andrew Garfield and Elmo from Sesame Street left fans emotional—and the viral video depicts just another reason why we love the fuzzy red monster so much. 

The famed children’s television character has been known to describe concepts, ideas and feelings to its young audience in a way that’s digestible and easy to comprehend, often with the helping hand of a special guest. This instance was no different when 41-year-old Garfield teamed up with our favorite furry friend to talk about missing someone. 

This particular conversation came in the wake of his mother’s passing in 2019 after a tough fight with pancreatic cancer. The actor has touched many hearts over the years since his mother passed away, as he’s been open in the public eye about the great impact she had on his life, as well as with the grief he’s experienced in the wake of the loss. This time, he had a little help from Elmo. 

The video begins with Elmo asking the actor how he’s doing, to which he explains that he had his mother on his mind and was missing her, but that it’s actually okay to miss someone. When Elmo shares with Garfield that he feels sad when he thinks about someone he misses, the actor puts those feelings into perspective for the sweet little character. 

“That sadness, it’s kind of a gift. It’s kind of a lovely thing to feel in a way because it means you really loved somebody when you miss them,” he said. “And when I miss someone, I remember, when I miss my mom I remember all of the cuddles I used to get from her. All of the hugs I used to get from her, and it makes me feel close to her when I miss her, in a strange way.”

He continued, “So I’m happy to have all the memories of my mom and the joy she brought me, and the joy she brought my brother, and my dad and everyone she ever met, everyone around her. So, when I miss her, I remember it’s because she made me so happy, so I can celebrate her and I can miss her at the same time.” Is anyone else crying?

Elmo shared with Garfield that with that in mind, he would be celebrating his mom too, to which the actor revealed that Elmo was his mother’s favorite Muppet. Though these concepts of grief, loss and missing someone might be hard for a young viewer to grapple with at first, lessons like these demonstrated by Elmo and Garfield show that though you might feel sad when you think about the person you long for, remembering them can also make you happy. 

Andrew Garfield’s mom

Since the actor said goodbye to his mother, he’s been sure to keep her legacy alive by talking about her and sharing her light with the world—one of the best ways to keep someone’s spirit with us in the wake of their passing. 

During a 2021 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Garfield talked about life after his mother’s passing, saying, “I hope this grief stays with me, because it’s all the unexpressed love that I didn’t get to tell her, and I told her every day. We all told her every day, she was the best of us.”

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