Woman Goes Viral Sharing Nightly Snack Tradition After Her Husband’s Death | NFL Sports

When Donna Clement and her husband, Patrick, first became parents, life quickly grew busy. Many days, the couple didn’t find time to catch up one-on-one until late in the evening.

Over the years, the LaFayette, Ga., locals developed a routine of ending each day with a snack together, using the time to talk through their day or share whatever was on their minds. One of Donna’s favorite parts of the tradition was the surprise element for Patrick.

“A lot of the nights, he would’ve already gone upstairs and I’d come in with our snacks and he’d just light up to see I’d brought him something to eat,” Donna, 66, tells PEOPLE exclusively.

“I would say his very favorite snack was ice cream. He loved it more than anything — he loved any kind of sweets,” she adds. “My favorite snack is more salty, so we didn’t always have the same thing. Occasionally we might, but not always.”

After 43 years of marriage, three kids and countless bedtime snacks, Patrick died in March at age 68, leaving Donna heartbroken. For the first few months, she was in shock. In moments of grief, she leaned on her family, friends and faith for support.

But it wasn’t until this summer, when she says she finally accepted he wasn’t coming back.

“There got to be nights I would ache to talk to somebody, and I try not to bother my kids late at night. So one night I thought, you know what? I’m just gonna TikTok it,” she adds. “I’m gonna tell TikTok what I would say if Pat was laying here by me.”

So that’s exactly what she did. She filmed a video talking while eating her bedtime snack — and in July, it took off.

Since then, she’s continued to post her snacking videos on TikTok, where she’s amassed nearly half a million followers.

“You could talk about how dry the dirt is for an hour and I would listen. You do you! You [are] FABULOUS and you bring so much joy to so many people. ❤️,” one user commented.

“This is YOUR journey Mrs Donna!!! Make your videos however you want, we will still watch just for you! So glad the day was good! ❤️” another person wrote.

Someone else chimed in, “Thank you for these videos❤️it makes being in a new city alone a lot better.”

“I’ve just gained a community,” she says. “I feel like I have half a million new friends.”

“So many people comment the sweetest, most encouraging things, or they’ll tell me their story,” she adds. “I was fortunate — I had almost 44 years with my husband. He saw his kids grow, he saw his first grandchild. But there are people who share that their husband passed when their kids were babies, or that they’ve lost a child.”

Prior to sharing her bedtime snack tradition on TikTok, Donna had been on the app for about a year. Her daughters set up her account, and she and Patrick — who she says was very funny and had a dry sense of humor — made a few videos together, though not many.

Looking at her videos now, she often wonders what her husband would think if he were here today.

“He just would not believe it, you know?” she says. “But I think he can see it, and I sure hope he can. Of course, he’s probably just shaking his head, but I’m sure he’s getting a big kick out of it.”

Reflecting on her TikTok journey, Donna says the app has given her an outlet to not only express her grief but also to understand that grief looks different for everyone — and that there’s no right or wrong way to deal with it.

It’s also allowed her to keep the tradition she shared with her late husband alive and flourishing.

“I always try new foods,” she says with a laugh. “It’s so fun. People will comment suggestions like, ‘You should try this’ or ‘You should try that.’ So I’ll take their advice, and sometimes it’s the same, sometimes it’s different — but it’s really fun.”

@donnac41 We’d have a lot to talk about if he was here tonight #bedtime #snack #snackideas #football #fyp #fypシ #griefjourney #bedtimesnacktime #watermelon ♬ original sound – Donna Clements

“I used to just dread nighttime — and of course I think things are always worse when the sun goes down,” she continues. “But now I can’t wait until it gets here. I usually film around 10 o’clock at night, and it just gives me something to look forward to.”

“If everyone could know how much they’ve healed me, and how much they mean to me, I wish they could,” she continues. “I wish everybody could know that.”