Boy Left in Tears After Mascot Sits Down, Sees Military Mom for 1st Time in 9 Months
Sgt. Jen Sabrowsky wanted a low-key homecoming after a 9-month deployment in the Middle East. But her son’s school, McKinley Elementary, in Appleton, Wisconsin, had a different idea.
“I didn’t want to make it a big deal,” Sabrowski smiled. “Which has clearly backfired.”
A lunchroom full of 6th-grade kids playfully shared high-fives as their school mascot, a big furry cat, walked around the tables. The mascot decided to sit across from 12-year-old Jake, who had no idea things were about to get emotional.
The mascot removed its heavy cat head, leaving Jake in utter shock at the face underneath. “Mom!” he screamed, bolting around the crowded table for a tearful embrace.
“He was coming in hot,” joked Sabrowsky, who has served in the Army National Guard for nine years. The student body, realizing the magnitude of what had just happened, responded with wide-eyed applause and genuine smiles on behalf of their classmate.
Principal Andrea Vinje watched with pride as the scene unfolded, calling it one of the proudest moments of her career. “It was so amazing,” Vinje told USA Today.
“It was so nice to see all of the other kids just so genuinely happy,” the principal explained. “That made me super proud.”
In the end, Sabrowsky was grateful the school went out of their way to make her homecoming such a big event. The nine months she’d spent away from her family had taken an emotional toll on both her sons.
“I wanted them to feel this is something we can be proud of, not just something to be endured,” Sabrowsky said of her deployment and homecoming. “It was awesome that the school facilitated the surprise.”
Jake had two important questions for his mom upon her arrival. “Do you get to stay?” he asked hopefully.
Sabrowsky was elated to tell her son that yes, she was home for good. With the matter settled, Jake moved on to another important thought in the mind of a pre-teen boy: his stomach.
“Are you making dinner, or is Dad?” the boy inquired. We don’t know much about Dad’s cooking skills, but this is one family that couldn’t wait to gather around the dinner table together, finally a complete family once again.
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