Did you wake up this morning, power up Google, and start to sniffle? The world famous Google Doodle is paying tribute to our military families a wee bit early for Memorial Day, but this is not just any military homecoming. The picture of a little girl running to her soldier daddy is a true story, pulled from the life of the artist, a real-life military kid.
Sabrina Brady of Sparta, Wisconsin is the kid in the picture. Her dad is the dad. AND 18-year-old Sabrina is the talented artist who drew the picture popping up on computer screens all over America today.
Wait, did that just make you sniffle louder?
The Google 4 Doodle challenge this year asked kids to draw their "Best Day Ever." Brady drew herself as a 10-year-old, welcoming her dad home from an 18-month-long deployment. It's a beautiful tribute from a little girl to her daddy and a heartwarming send-up to our military families all in one.
Not to mention an in-your-face reminder that military kids should be a bigger part of the overall military story?
Stories about military deployments tend to focus on the parents. They are, after all, the ones who are putting themselves in harm's way.
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But at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I can't say enough that we should be doing more for military families. These kids often spend extended periods of time without Mom or Dad. They're often forced to move their entire lives, leaving friends behind and having to start all over again at new schools in new towns. They live a life unlike any other kid in America.
And they turn out pretty great!
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Look at Sabrina. She's a talented artist who won a $30,000 college scholarship, a Chromebook computer, and a $50,000 technology grant for her school from Google because she took the initiative to enter their annual Google 4 Doodle contest, and in the fall, she'll attend the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
These kids don't always have it easy, but they blast through those hurdles ... and that makes them heroes in my eyes too.
What did you think when you saw the Google Doodle today? Does it change your opinion knowing it's a real story?
Image via Google