She graduated last Friday evening as a 2017 Texas Foundation Distinguished High Honor Graduate and a member of the National Honor Society. She loves to read, likes to succeed, respects history, adores little old men, gets along with children, and has a quick wit. She loves the Lord, has a way with animals, likes to deer hunt and can clean what she kills. She is the epitome of a millennial Texas woman.
After her graduation, her Bubba took her out to eat with his little family. Then he brought her back to school to be locked in for the night for operation graduation. My nephew was a chaperone for the event, and said he'd bring her home when it was over at 5:00am. Pete's back was killing him from the bleachers, so we came straight home.
Once home, Pete was in a foul mood. I have recently been unemployed, and Pete is on a fixed income. I think his pain and the fact he had no grand gift for his baby girl was eating at him. Around midnight, his mood suddenly changed and he told me, "I'm going out to see if I can find something, and if I can, you are going to help me with something." Cryptic. And I'm exhausted. Yet, there was a gleam in his eyes that reminded me of Pete twenty years ago. So, I simply said, okay. He soon came back with a roll of industrial grade reflective tape. He then told me of his plan. We were going to make letters out of the tape and stick them to the glass panes on the front of our porch so that when Hannah came home, and the headlights hit it down our long drive, she'd see the message as if in lights. I loved it! And loved him for it. And knew she would, too.
So we commenced to cutting, and would take one or two words worth out at a time. I'd start peeling the back off, then hand to Pete to place on the glass pane. We finished right at five in the morning. Too excited to be exhausted, we got in the car and went down the road so we could come back around the curve and see what it was going to look like. As we started to enter the curve, Pete said there were headlights behind us and to gas it...so I did and pulled into the yard to one side and turned off our lights. Soon, Clay pulled in and this is what Hannah saw:
It reads "Daddy is proud! Hannah Hazee, AKA "JR." In the middle is a cross and 2017 and "Thank you Clay."
It literally looked like part of the Vegas Strip! Hannah was overjoyed! She knows how her daddy feels about the old glass pane doors he turned sideways in the front of the porch. We may never get the tape off. But then, who cares? An unforgettable memory was made and that is all that matters.
Did you have any special graduates this year? What is your favorite graduation memory?
Barbara
How cool! I know that had to make her feel even more special. What a bonding moment and sweet of him to think of such a thing and for you to help him pull it off. I can understand his frustration at not being able to get her a grand gift. That's where we're always at, too, also on a fixed income. But, things like this mean a whole lot more than a new car or the latest big thing. It is personal and comes from the heart. I think it is just great. :)
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed night, Barbara. Thanks for stopping by PS Annie!. :)
PS Congratulations, Hannah!
DeleteI agree! Thanks, Suzanne.
DeleteYou're welcome, Barbara. Have a blessed day. :)
DeleteHi Barbara,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your happy moments with us.
Congrats Hannah. Keep it up. Keep going.
Wish You All The Best In Your Future Endeavors.
By the by I am shocked to note you just abruptly closed the post with just one photo of Hannah and other one.
Hey this is very bad of you!
You would have added some more pics of that happy moments and the graduation ceremony etc with some group photos ad fly pics.
Hope we can expect another post in this regard. LOL
Anyways Wish Hannah and all of your Happy Days Ahead.
Thanks Barbara for dropping by.
Keep visiting
Have a great rest of the week
Convey our love to Hannah
Phil and Ann
from
#Philipscom
Sorry I let you down on the number of pics. 😖 Please forgive me, but I do prefer to keep my posts fairly short. Thank you for your warm wishes.
DeleteSo glad he thought of something so special for your beautiful girl!
ReplyDeleteMe, too! Thanks.
DeleteThat was a great thing for Hannah to come home to, I'll bet! Please convey my congratulations to Hannah for making it through her school years so successfully. She is indeed a lovely young lady.
ReplyDeleteThank you and I surely will.
DeleteWhat a great story. Sorry to hear you're unemployed. Hope everything turns around for you soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Liz!
DeleteMuch congrats to your daughter. It's amazing how busy things get these days.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, it "seemed" like a lot more going on. 😉 I think buys just don't do as much.
DeleteThat is so cool, Barbara - I love it! A beautiful gesture of love from a father to his accomplished daughter. Very creative and making use of resources easily available to you. May your daughter continue to bring you joy and pride.
ReplyDeleteThank you. We had fun together doing it and she seems really proud of it. 😉
DeleteWhat a very special and original way to celebrate this milestone! Congratulations to the graduate and to you and family!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I do think he hit on something very original.
DeleteCongrats to Hannah on her graduation and her achievements! Such a sweet gift her dad thought of for her and equally sweet you helped him accomplish it, just in time!
ReplyDeletebetty
We had fun doing it, made us "feel" like teenagers ourselves. 😉
DeleteThis is lovely Barbara! Many congratulations to Hannah - may her successes continue. May her name up in lights continue - what a grand gesture!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the warm wishes!
DeleteShe's really beautiful, Barbara. Sounds like she has a bright future ahead!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely, thoughtful gesture! But why did they lock them in the gym until 5 am? Was it a dance?
Thank you! Around here, Operation Graduation in an event where the kids stay at the school locked in until morning. Each year they try to have fun events and prizes they can win to encourage them to come. The idea is to keep them from making their own parties and drinking and driving....which was a big thing back when I was in high school. Most schools all over our area have some form of this on graduation night. It really does seem to save lives.
DeleteThis is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. My eyes are not dry! May Pete forever know that one of the most precious things in a girl's heart is to know that Daddy is proud of her!
ReplyDeleteThank you! And it is still up. Now when she comes home in the evening after work she says she sees it and thinks, "Daddy is proud of me for working."
Delete