There are just some unique moments in our lives that can stay with us forever. These are the times when we tend to be at our most vulnerable states. It’s always a beautiful sight to see someone lose all pretense of keeping it “cool” and express their feelings in the rawest way possible.
Plus, it’s always special when it happens to an older, tougher-looking guy whom you’d never expect to get all emotional and mushy!
Del Wallace wasn't a fan of surprises but this carefully planned double-surprise from his daughter changed his mind. His 49th birthday is a day he will never forget.
Ashley Schrader decided to create such a moment for herself and her dad by giving him the most memorable surprise on his birthday.
Ashley Schrader, 24, had always been very close to her dad. From the day of her birth and up until her marriage, her dad remained very protective of her and never shied away from showing that.
Del Wallace, 52, was known by his family to be a sturdy, stubborn-minded but emotional man. He wasn't a fan of surprises either, but he was about to receive one that would stay with him forever.
The Wallace’s lived a simple life. You can say even an uneventful one.
As Ashley’s parents got older, there was nothing left to be excited about anymore. But some things still excited her father Del.
Del had always been an avid football fan. However, it wouldn't be right to call him a fan of the sport. He was CRAZY about it!
He had played football in his younger years and, even now, he never missed a single game. Everyone in the family knew about it, so they never even tried to bother him when his favorite team was playing.
Looking at the father-daughter duo, one could easily assume that the apple hasn't dropped too far from the tree. Ashley also shared her father's passion for the sport. She was the only one in the family, other than Del, who got excited about every game.
Football night was like a tradition in the family. But times were about to change.
Ever since she was little, they used to watch every game together, but after her marriage, she got a bit busy with her life. Ashley and her husband were busy building a life of their own.
They still visited her father occasionally, but it was not like before. Now, Del watched most of the games by himself as he understood that she had to move on with her life and, he couldn't be more proud.
Del naturally missed his little girl. Now there was no one available to watch the games with him.
However, he couldn’t say much because he didn’t want anyone to be worried about him. However, he didn't know that eyes were watching and seeing these events as they happened.
Ashley, as the time passed, also missed her father dearly. But she was so consumed with her new life that she couldn’t find quality time to spend with him.
She had so much to talk about, so much to share, but so little time to do so.
Now, as Del’s 52nd birthday was close, the whole family decided to do something special for him. After hours and hours of planning, they finally decided to eat out on his special day.
They planned to have dinner at the steakhouse at Beavercreek, Ohio, one of Del’s favorite places.
Del was not that much excited. He hadn’t been excited about his birthday for a long time. Nor did he want any grand celebrations.
He just wanted a simple birthday spent with his family. But his family had other plans for him.
Finally, on August 8th, the big day came. Everyone was all excited and happy except Del.
It was like every other day for him. But he was oblivious to the fact that her daughter had planned something special for him, something that would change his life for good.
Deep down, Del knew the only exciting part of his birthday was that he got to meet his daughter.
That’s what made him happy in the first place.
Ashley had planned something special for him. She knew it was his 52nd birthday and wanted to make it a memorable one.
She wished to create a moment with him that he would remember for the rest of his life. So, Ashley was particularly ecstatic about Del’s birthday.
The whole family had gathered for a birthday dinner at Del’s favorite steakhouse. It was supposed to be a humble yet simple event, an everyday thing for him. At fifty-two, he wasn’t expecting anything crazy, nor did he want to.
Everyone except Ashley expected it to be a simple yet uneventful event. And they were all going to be proved wrong.
Ashley had planned a special surprise for her old man. A gift that he would cherish and love.
But she knew she had to wait for the right time and the right moment. She wanted to catch her father’s expression when he saw what Ashley had in store for him.
As they finished their dinner, Ashley presented a bag to Del. He shook the bag and asked what it was; she told him it’s a surprise.
The now excited Del opened the bag excitedly and was shocked to see what was in it.
Ashley had given her father a cap tied to his favorite football team, the Ohio State University Buckeyes. Del was both pleased and excited as the simple gift held great sentimental value for him.
He had been a Buckeyes fan for years now and, he loved the present. But, Del failed to notice that it wasn’t just a simple team cap.
Ashley knew it was his 52nd birthday; she wanted to give her father something truly special, something that he would remember for all his life. She wanted this to be the best birthday that he ever had.
However, Del would soon find out what the real gift was.
She wanted to give her father the surprise of his life. But she wanted it to be as discreet as possible so that her father won’t notice right away.
Ashley knew this was the right moment to reveal her little secret to her dad. So she had personalized the cap with a secret message written on it.
As Del was admiring his new gift, he removed the tags, and, as he appreciated it, he failed to notice an important detail. Seeing that her dad had missed the actual message behind his present, she burst out laughing, and out of excitement, she told her father to look closer.
Del was visibly confused at this point.
By this point, confused Del still couldn’t figure out what he had missed. Ashley then told him that the cap is a personalized one, to which he replied, is it?
She told him to look closer on the other side. Now, out of curiosity, he began to examine the cap closely and he finally noticed it.
The right side of the cap had a special message printed on it that read: #1 Grandpa. At first he was confused. To the best of his knowledge, he had no grandkids yet.
Then the realization hit the 52-year-old, and almost immediately, a beautiful smile popped up on his face as his eyes began to tear up right then and there. It was truly something extraordinary that he could never have expected. It was the best present that anyone could give.
The now excited Ashley decided to record the special moment as a keepsake for her family. It was a beautiful moment that the father and daughter had shared.
As she said: “As he was first looking at the cap, my heart was racing because I thought he would read the text instantly and know, but it took him a minute, so I prompted him to look because I couldn’t wait any longer. When he realized what the cap meant, he instantly broke down in tears – which our whole family knows and expects from him".
Del's reaction made everyone extremely emotional. The surprise couldn’t have come at a better time, so Ashley recorded the very candid moment on her phone and decided to post it on TikTok.
She knew the wholesome moment would help brighten other people's day. Plus, she wanted to share her special moment with her dad with the world.
At this point, it was no surprise that the rest of the night was dedicated to discussing everything about the baby that would be joining their family.
In a matter of seconds, the uneventful dinner had turned into a thing of beauty.
The response that Ashley received on the video was of nothing but love. She said: “How can seeing something like a dad finding out they’re going to be a grandpa not brighten anyone’s day”? And that’s true.
Moments like these could cheer anyone up. Ashley later said: “I know when I am having a bad day I re-watch the video and always end up with a big smile".
Ashley’s son James was born in the March of 2020, and it was no surprise that grandpa loved him to bits. He had always been there ever since he was born and, now James and Del are almost inseparable.
Ashley knew that her dad had always been there for her and, now seeing him with her son, is something truly spectacular. As Ashley rightly said: "right from the moment of this video, James has had his papaw wrapped around Del's fingers".
Ever since James came into this world, Ashley and Del got even closer. Not a single day goes by when Del is not around his grandson.
She is more than happy to pass on what she had learned from her father to her son. And Del is always there to guide her through her way.
As we go on in life, there are a lot of things that we start to appreciate more. As young adults we sometimes fail to appreciate the smaller things in life.
But as we get older we regret the time that we could have utilized in building relationships and bonds.
Being a parent is a beautiful thing, but becoming a grandparent is something truly spectacular. As a grandparent you get to pass on your wisdom and knowledge to your children and your grandkids.
You have a second chance to teach your kids not to repeat the same mistakes you did and, to be better than you ever were. It’s truly a blessing in disguise that most people fail to notice.