Returning home from deployment can often be the most challenging part of a child’s life. But this father uses a fun prank to make this family reunion one that they’ll never forget.
Family photo time
The video opens as the father calls his family together for a photo. His wife and three of his children are gathered up inside of a minivan. They squeeze together to make sure that everyone’s in frame and smile the brightest smiles they can.
But if you look over their shoulders, you’ll see that something is amiss. A young man in a black hoodie sits up moving into the frame with no one but the father aware of what’s going on. Parents who enjoy teasing their loved ones with a scare can likely guess what happens next.
Roland out of nowhere
The father makes a show of adjusting the camera to make sure that everyone’s in the frame. But when he sees his son get in position he calls out to him:
“Wait, Roland. A little to the right.”
His daughters immediately snap their heads around to see where Roland is. While they register the fact that Roland is with them from deployment, the mother repeats his name. She then turns around and spots Roland and loses her cool in a big way.
Welcome home
The mother screams for joy and shock as she scrambles to unbuckle her belt. Most of the sisters are just so excited, except for the youngest one who maintains her chill and cool. As the mother howls in fright, Roland offers his sisters a big hug one by one.
You can see the love in everyone’s expressions as they embrace their deployed sibling. Even the youngest sister who had shown the least fear seems pleased to see him. In fact, they are all so happy to welcome their brother that they never check on their mother to see if she’s alright.
Hugging time
Eventually, the mother settles down and peeks back into the car. As she watches her son climb over the back seats to get to the passenger’s side, the mother admits that she was so scared by his sudden appearance. She looks at Roland, and you can see the expression of overwhelming happiness on her face.
But Rolan’ds mother never cries. She waits for her son to climb over the seats and give each of his sisters a hug. When he finally reaches her, he gives his mother a hug, all while the father laughs, smiles, and keeps everyone in frame. Any parent, even those without military children, will likely smile seeing how close the family are and how much love the siblings have for their brother.
Homecoming heroes
Parents of servicemen will tell you that it can be hard not seeing your children during lengthy deployments. That’s why several articles exist talking about how families can overcome these challenges and remain closely knit.
But this father shows that sometimes all you need is a good prank to make deployments and reunions easy and keep everyone in high spirits.
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