Being a parent of a son or daughter who is deployed can be difficult. They worry about them every single day, and some don’t even get to speak to see their children regularly while they are deployed. It can be particularly rough when parents are celebrating a special occasion or holiday, and their children aren’t there to celebrate with them.
One father, Don Beaver, was celebrating his 50th birthday when he got a big surprise.
He was thrilled to get a video from his son. His son was in Bahrain, and Don knew his son wouldn’t be able to make it back for his birthday. In fact, Don wasn’t even sure if he would hear from his son on his special day. A video was such a great gift for him. In the video, his son apologized for not being able to be there for the party. He said:
“Hey, Dad. It’s me, over here in good ole Bahrain. Do me a favor, suck it up, princess.”
The other guests at the party who were also watching the video started to laugh.
Then, Don’s daughter directed the birthday boy to look behind him. She said:
“Now, turn around and give your son a hug.”
When Don turned around, he was immediately overwhelmed with emotion.
His son was standing there with open arms. The two men hugged, and Don continued to cry. He couldn’t believe his son was there with him. It’s clearly the best gift he could have ever received.
Don had no idea his son was planning to surprise him, and very few other guests knew about it, as well. Everyone was so happy to see the two reunited. The video was posted on social media, where it was shared thousands of times and received thousands of likes and comments. Don commented, saying:
“Ok just to clear a few things up. I’m the big baby that cried when my son walked in. The whole 50th party was a surprise and the last thing I expected was to see him.”
Don said that the people who knew his son was going to surprise him never hinted around about anything or suggested that his son would be arriving for the party.
He added:
“Nobody gave anything away by talking I simply didn’t hear the last thing he said on the video. It was my daughter who said turn around and hug your son and even then, it didn’t register that it was real. He had been stationed in Bahrain at that point for about 10 months and took leave for this party. He was a Navy MA2 (Master at Arms) (Military Police). He knew to remove his cover but was just being cautious in case I turned around too soon.”
Don was trying his best to have a good time at his party and be appreciative of his family and friends who were there for him.
He missed his son and wished he was there, but he never actually expected his son to show up. A 50th birthday is a big milestone and one to be remembered. Thanks to Don’s son and his family and friends who helped plan the surprise, it’s one party he will never forget.
Don added:
“Thank you, everyone, for the kind words and the likes! God bless our Troops! Thank you to everyone who has, is or will be serving. God bless America!”
Of course, Don’s son couldn’t stay long.
He was able to make his father happy in the short time he was home and really was the best birthday gift any father could have asked for. Luckily, someone caught the entire thing on video, so we can all share in Don’s joy and he can look back on it for many years to come.
Watch the epic surprise below.
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