© 2026 ABC News

In addition to the photo, Smith's sister recorded a video of Derek and Charlee's hug.

Smith said her kids adore each other, and that she and her husband are happy the picture has brightened people's days.

\"PHOTO:
Aundrea Smith
PHOTO: Charlee Smith, 5, graduated from preschool on June 21 in Fairfield County, Connecticut, with her mom dad, aunt and proud big brother watching in the audience.
>
\"PHOTO:
Candace Tabbs
PHOTO: When her preschool graduation ceremony concluded, Charlee Smith, 5, walked off the stage. That's when her 8-year-old brother, Derek, approached her with flowers.
>

\"It's really wonderful to see the impact it's having on other people,\" Smith said of the positive comments on Instagam.

Charlee is headed to kindergarten this fall. She's nervous, but excited to be attending the same school as her brother, Smith said.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Family/sweet-moment-brother-sister-preschool-graduation-hearts-exploding/story?id=63954965","legacySlug":"/family/story/sweet-moment-brother-sister-preschool-graduation-hearts-exploding-63954965","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"17:46","publishDate":"06-26-2019","updatedTime":"11:35","updatedDate":"06-27-2019","socialImage":{"alt":"Derek Smith, 8, shares a hug with his sister Charlee Smith, 5, after her preschool graduation on June 21.","credit":"Aundrea Smith","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/preschool-graduation-brother-hugs-MAIN-ht-np-190626_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"6/26/2019 17:46:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":63954965,"headline":"Brother and sister cry at preschool graduation","mediaAssetTitle":"EMOTIONAL PRE SCHOOL GRAD PHOTO","description":"Charlee, 5, graduated from preschool on June 21 in Connecticut.","duration":"0:36","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/06/190626_gma_digital_preschool_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["63471704","63156576","63371897"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"story","date":"June 5, 2019","headline":"Teacher honors deal with 8th grader to perform dance if she aced an exam","section":"living","slug":"/living/story/teacher-dances-student-beyonces-part-test-deal-63471704","id":63471704,"image":{"alt":"Teacher honors deal with 8th grader to perform dance if she aced an exam","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/190604_gma_digital_beyonce0_hpMain_1x1_240.jpg","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"May 30, 2019","headline":"17-year-old graduates Harvard 11 days after he graduated high school","section":"living","slug":"/living/story/17-year-graduate-harvard-11-days-graduating-high-63156576","id":63156576,"image":{"alt":"17-year-old graduates Harvard 11 days after he graduated high school","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/braxton-moral-ht-03-jpo-190530_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Brittney Jo Seger\n","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"May 30, 2019","headline":"'Care for some strawberries?': Valedictorian honors immigrant parents in speech","section":"living","slug":"/living/story/care-strawberries-valedictorians-clever-prop-honors-immigrant-parents-63371897","id":63371897,"image":{"alt":"'Care for some strawberries?': Valedictorian honors immigrant parents in speech","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/valedictorian-ht-001-jpo-190530_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Polk County Public Schools","ratio":"1x1"}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Brother and sister cry at preschool graduation","description":"Charlee, 5, graduated from preschool on June 21 in Connecticut.","duration":"0:36","uploadDate":"06-26-2019","publication":"06-26-2019","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/06/190626_gma_digital_preschool_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/06/190626_gma_digital_preschool_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/family/story/sweet-moment-brother-sister-preschool-graduation-hearts-exploding-63954965"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:family:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"family","title":"Brother and sister cry at preschool graduation","pubTime":"13:46","pubDate":"06-26-2019","modTime":"07:35","modDate":"06-27-2019","taxonomyTags":"none","id":63954965,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"Zoe Moore","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Brother and sister cry at preschool graduation","mediaAssetTitle":"EMOTIONAL PRE SCHOOL GRAD PHOTO","videoId":63954965,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/family/story/sweet-moment-brother-sister-preschool-graduation-hearts-exploding-63954965"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/63954965","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/63954965","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};