Tears Over What These Three Generations of Women Have in Common

A video showcasing three generations of women bound by an extraordinary friendship has touched thousands.

Gabrielle Urso, 20, posted a TikTok clip of her best friends, her mother’s best friend and her grandmother’s best friend, to show her role in a decades-long intergenerational friendship. Urso, along with a member of each generation of best friends, spoke to Newsweek about the impact of this unique relationship—and where it all began.

“Just two friends who are best friends, with daughters who are best friends, who had more daughters who are best friends,” Urso captioned the video. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.

Their connection, described to Newsweek as more like a family than friendship, has been a cornerstone of their lives.

A Friendship Rooted in Brooklyn

Leading the three generations are Kathy Vivolo, 75, and Carol Fuccillo, 78. Their journey as friends, Urso said, began outside a preschool, each pushing their daughters—Jennifer and Josephine—in strollers. That chance encounter blossomed into a lifelong bond as they navigated motherhood together, living just blocks apart.

“As [Jennifer and Josephine’s] lives developed, they got married to their respective husbands, moved to the same apartment building and had their first daughters,” Urso said. The story continued as the friends raised their daughters, Gabriella, Nancie, Sienna and Olivia, who became inseparable.

“Motherhood introduced them,” Urso said, “They’ve modeled to us daughters how to stand by a friend no matter what challenges you face together.”

Lessons Across Generations

The friendships have left and continue to impact all three generations profoundly. Urso said she admires the strength and loyalty modeled by her mother and her friends, values she carries into all aspects of her life.

Josephine, part of the second generation, shared her perspective with Newsweek.

“Jen and I have been friends for nearly 50 years,” she said. “We have experienced so much with each other, have been each other’s biggest cheerleaders and shoulders to cry on. We celebrate each other’s victories as they were our own, and [our] hearts hurt when the other one is suffering.

“But, for me, the one thing that I love most about my friendship with Jen is our role in life as moms.”

Nancie, Josephine’s daughter, echoed her mother’s sentiment: The bonds she has witnessed and shared have taught her the meaning of unconditional love.

“This bond has completely reshaped my understanding of friendship. The connection we share feels more like a sisterhood than just friendship,” Nancie said. “We may argue or disagree, just like siblings, but our love for each other is so deep and unbreakable that nothing could ever come between us.”

A Legacy of Love

The legacy of the friends comes to life most poignantly at yearly celebrations like Christmas. There, bloodlines blur, and love takes center stage.

“My favorite event of the year is Christmas Eve…It is one of the only times a year our entire family, blood or not, can spend all together,” Urso said. “This annual party really has shown me that family is what you make of it and not always necessarily what you are born into.”

Urso’s TikTok video of Christmas 2024 has resonated far and wide, ensuring that the women’s friendship lives on and inspires others.

“To me, this friendship is more than just a bond—it’s a legacy,” said Nancie.

Their story is a reminder to nurture relationships that stand the test of time. For these three generations of women, friendship isn’t just a part of life—it’s the foundation.