The last four minutes of ‘Parenthood’ made our hearts 100% burst

After six seasons, and a billion happy/sad tears, we finally had to say goodbye to the Braverman family last night. *Sniff, sniff* NBC wrapped up Parenthood in the most perfect way possible, because it not only gave us closure for our family, but then it flashforwarded to their happy endings later on down the road, too! SIGH.

Series creator Jason Katims told Entertainment Weekly that the idea of those flashforwards was “about being able to be a fly on the wall a couple of years down the road [for] these people that we’ve come to feel so close to.” None of us really wanted to say goodbye to the Bravermans, right? Now it feels like we haven’t, because wherever they are, they’re still OK.

Also, if you haven’t yet watched the Parenthood finale (or binged the series — it’s on Netflix, BTW), there are about to be some MAJOR SPOILERS.

All season long a major death was teased for the show, and I don’t know about you guys, but I was terrified it was going to be Zeek and he was going to end up missing Sarah’s wedding to good-guy Hank. Thankfully, Zeek was still around to walk Sarah down the aisle. However, he eventually succumbed to his failing heart, and died peacefully at home. He requested his ashes to be spread on the baseball field, and I promise I’m not crying while I type this or anything.

Not only that, but Julia and Joel — after a whole lot of gut wrenching ups and downs — worked everything out, and adopted the biological brother of their adopted son, Victor. THEN, they had another baby AND got a dog (oh gosh, puppies as presents for Christmas? PROMISE I’m still not crying).

Meanwhile Amber met a dashing single-dad. and it looks like things are serious between them, but she’s still on good terms with ex-boyfriend (/ex-fiance, /baby Zeek’s dad) Ryan. Amber also co-runs the Luncheonette with Crosby — who had another baby with Jasmine.

And then, of course, you know the moment that made everyone bawl the hardest (or at least made me bawl the hardest), Adam took over Chambers Academy, and was the one to present Max with his diploma when he graduated. Executive producer Lawrence Trilling told BuzzFeed that “Max has been the emotional centerpiece around which the show has pivoted,” which is probably why that moment struck us (me?) the most. The final moments of the show are “a little encapsulation of Max’s whole journey, and more broadly, it’s about the entire family embracing each other in good times and bad.”

So if you haven’t already cried enough today, and feel like a good mid-day gentle weep, check out the final flashfoward montage of the Bravermans — which is set to a beautiful cover of “Forever Young” — and make sure you have a few boxes of tissues ready. BRAVERMANS FOREVER.

Image via here.