Posted on 05/09/2006 9:03:28 PM PDT by SandRat
Graduation is a milestone in anyone's life, but imagine being 39 years old, in your cap and gown, the mother of five, and the wife of a soldier deployed to Afghanistan.
That’s the reality for a Sierra Vista woman who received her master's degree this weekend.
And, along with her diploma, she got the surprise of a lifetime.
It was Saturday, May 6, 2006, graduation day for Stacy Tebo who's been studying to get her Master's in Education Administration for the past two years.
A month ago, Stacy never planned on going to graduation ceremonies. But then, Grand Canyon University held a speech writing contest, and her plans changed.
Stacy says, “I just got the urge to write it [a speech].” And, she did at 1:00 in the morning, and then sent it in, without even proof-reading it.
Stacy won, and before she knew it, she was standing in front of 14,000 people telling them about her journey, crediting one person in particular: her husband Bryan of almost 20 years.
“I just want to thank him,” she said in front of the crowd, “not only for our country, but for our family.”
The problem was, Bryan, an Army Intelligence Analyst from Fort Huachuca , deployed to Afghanistan since November 8, 2005, couldn't be there, or so she thought.
Bryan had told her over the phone, “…just know I'm with you in spirit...I'm in your heart.”
She says she felt confident of that, but what Stacy and their five children didn't know was that Bryan was there.
His tour of duty had ended, and at the prompting of university officials, the U.S. military sped up the process to get him home.
The crowd stood to their feet and cheered as the Master of Ceremonies told them to welcome Bryan Tebo all the way from Afghanistan .
And, with that, not a dry eye in the house.
Bryan says, “For 20 years, she's supported me and made all my days special. I wanted to do something to make her day special."
And that he did. Stacy was in shock, smiling, crying and hugging Bryan as he made his way to the stage.
She says it is a memory she will never forget.
"Hearing them [the bagpipes] play 'God Bless America', and seeing him walk through the crowd was just an amazing feeling," she said.
ALERT!!!Nice post!
Thanks for the warning, but it didn't do me any good.
I can just hear it:
naaa naa naa naaa na naaaa,
naaa naa naa naaaaaaa,....
Wonderful!
What a beautiful post! We could use a lot more like that!
Well I provided 4 in reply #1 and 3 in reply #2 for a total of 7. Think that covers it well enough. Don't you?
I think the tissues were such a thoughtful gesture on your part. Not enough, but I have some here.
Thanks
Thanks for the great post. :-)
Wonderful. I just made my husband and son shut up about fishing and let me read this to them.
We can never say it enough. God bless our troops and their families.
Dammit, I can't see squat!
What a heart-pleasing story!
Wonderful!!!!
I'd love to see the video of that!
(Yeah, riiiight...)
SandRat, thanks for a great post!
(I "got out" in late '64 -- don't recall any standing ovation welcomes back then -- or any bagpipes...)
Idiot! Idiot! The only thing I have to say for myself is that it's 10:30 and I'm doped up on allergy meds! Very sweet!
BTTT
What a happy story. Thanks for posting it.
What a wonderful story, on so many aspects!
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