Sons surprise parents for 40th anniversary

On April 1, 2016, my parents, Terry and Ralph, were surprised with a 40th wedding anniversary party. They were dining with four friends on the second floor of Clyde Iron Works in Duluth, Minn., when, unbeknownst to them, friends and family slowly walked in to meet them for a celebration in their honor.

Some of the last people to come in were their grandsons, Jack and George; my brothers, Jeremy and Josh; me and our wives, Maria, Emily and Kate. Just as my mom and dad thought everyone had arrived, they were surprised one more time by my brother, Bob, an Army veteran and police officer residing in California who was visiting Duluth for the first time in nearly eight years, and his girlfriend, Yvette.

We spent the entire weekend together as a family and capped it off by eating lunch at my parents' house on Sunday, April 3, 40 years to the day they were married.

My mom and dad have sacrificed so much for us boys without ever thinking twice. There's no way I could repay their kindness and unconditional love, but I think this party was all they needed. Thank you to everyone who was a part of a time they'll always remember. I love you, Mom and Dad.