19 Times ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Made Us All Ugly Cry

Last week's episode of Grey's Anatomy, "Flowers Grow Out of My Grave," brought about the most bittersweet flash from the past. After Meredith successfully operated on a young girl whose family had set up a Dia De Los Muertos display in her hospital room, she asked if she could take a look at their alter. One of the family members walked her through their departed loved ones and told Meredith that she shouldn't be sorry for their loss, because they were there with them now. The woman gave Meredith a Marigold, which is said to help guide our ancestors' spirits back to us. Meredith put it behind her ear and as she made her way out for the night, with a Spanish cover of Chasing Cars in the background (Thanks, Satan), her voiceover discussed her experience with losing people she's loved and all of those she’s lost popped in, almost like they were checking in on her. Cue the ugly sobs from every single viewer as George and Ellis walked around corners, Lexi stood behind the nurses station, Doc trotted down the hall with Meredith and Derek and Mark stood side by side in the ER.

Let's not pretend—it’s a rare day when Grey's doesn't make us cry, though some episodes are better at it than others. Below are some of the most heart-wrenching moments of the series.

When Casey the firefighter died from severe burns from a wildfire, his wife by his side

When Meredith realized that it was George

When Dr. Bailey stayed with Omar, who was stuck in isolation while his wife, Giselle, died of the plague

I couldn​'t find a clip of this one, so look at his face and think back to Dr. Bailey pressing her hand against the window and demanding he put his hand against hers to stop his panic attack.

When Meredith drowned, and Derek pulled her blue body out of the water (honorable mention: when all of her friends sat outside her room waiting to see if she’d live)

When Rosie died and her husband regretted the DNR, jumping in to start CPR, but he couldn't be the one to let her die so Dr. Bailey took over, but she couldn't do it either so Derek took over and finally let her go

When Meredith told Derek that it was okay for him to go 

And when Penny tried to apologize for Derek's death, and Meredith told her that he was her "one," the patient that would haunt her for the rest of her career

When Jessica was dying of Tay-Sachs, and her father spent most of her last hours trying to find a way to get them to Mexico for experimental treatment before Bailey got through to him that it was time to just hold her

When they played back the wedding video and Mark said, "Oh, well that's easy. Lexie Grey." 

When Adele was diagnosed, and begged Richard not to write her off as a burden because of her Alzheimer's

And then when she died and Richard didn't want to ruin Bailey's wedding, so he and Meredith cried alone in the back

When Percy was dying, and Bailey screamed hysterically as she begged them to turn the elevators back on

Actually just that whole episode - when Meredith saw Derek get shot, when she pleaded that the gunman take her life instead, when Cristina faked Derek's death, when Meredith miscarried... this whole episode had a whole series' worth of pain and suffering

When Jackson promised to believe in God if he would just save April

When Izzie finally listened to Denny's voicemail

When Ellis told Meredith that she was anything but ordinary and encouraged her to live

When Sara was pulled away from the ambulance that her husband was trapped in, and Meredith came to the realization that for so many people, all she would ever be was the face that gave them the worst news of their lives

And when Arizona proposed to Callie and then promptly almost killed her