Dolly Parton burst into a bittersweet rendition of a song her mother used to sing to her as a child, and the ever-human Stephen Colbert represented us all at that moment.

His eyes leaked.

That’s right, he cried.

She hurried through the explanation of the lyrics, laughing, and said, “I better hush before you cry yourself to death and we can’t finish the show.” 

As he wiped tears out of his eyes, Colbert laughed as well and replied, “Like a lot of Americans, I’m under a lot of stress right now, Dolly.”

Listen to the heartwarming moment for yourself:

He later said, “Isn’t it funny that sometimes there’s nothing happier than a cry?”

Hello, catharsis.

What a damn treasure they are, both of them.