Bill Webb recently saw his 80 years of life flash before his eyes. It was through his seven grandchildren, who'd found old photos and, heartwarmingly, dressed up as him during different eras of his life—celebrating his birthday, his life, and their love for him.
His only granddaughter, Kenzie Greene, 21, shared an Instagram post about the event, which impressed many all over the world.
“He definitely knows how to make all of us feel special and remembers things about each of us,” she told The Epoch Times in an interview. “He’s so funny, and he’s just exactly what you would envision when you think of a grandfather.”
The Close-Knit Family
Kenzie, along with her grandparents, cousins, and the rest of her family, is based in the area surrounding Knoxville, Tennessee.She also pointed out the irony that her Pawpaw, despite having all daughters, ended up with only one granddaughter. However, she emphasized that while they have a deep bond with her, her grandparents have built equally amazing relationships with each of their grandchildren, showing fairness and care to all.
Kenzie recalled one of her favorite memories. When she was 12, the grandparents gave everyone an early Christmas present by taking the whole family, including every single cousin, to Disneyland. They let the children know by giving them a box of scrambled letters, which when rearranged made the message “We’re going on a Disney cruise.” They let the kids figure it out.
The Suprise
With everything her grandparents have done for them, Kenzie and her cousins wanted to do something special for Pawpaw to show him how much he means to them.Once they decided to highlight eras from his life, they carefully chose elements that stood out. Kenzie noted that “80 years is a long time,” and they had to fit all of those years into 7 eras that each grandchild could personify.
For each era of their Pawpaw’s life, each grandchild chose an era that represented a connection they shared with him. For example, Kenzie’s cousin Hutton was really into football in high school, so he represented the “football era” of Bill’s life, while Kenzie is currently studying at the University of Tennessee, where Bill also studied, so she naturally chose his “frat boy” era.
Watch the video:
As fun as it was preparing, planning, and executing the surprise, the magic of it all lay in the love they were showing for their Pawpaw.
“He literally loved it,” Kenzie said. “It was so cute; he was so excited. He didn’t notice everyone dressed up like him until my aunt had to point it out, which is hilarious, because, of course, he wouldn’t notice that, but then when every one of the cousins started to come out and stuff, he kept getting tickled over and over again.”
As Kenzie reflected on the experience, she observed that she and her cousins have all loved hearing the stories of their Pawpaw’s life, so it was a fantastic experience for them to tell parts of his life story back to him.
Kenzie says that surprises like this are not uncommon in her family, and this was not the first time one of the videos she posted about her family’s doings has gone viral.
One commenter on her video might have summed it up, writing, “I may not know this family personally, but this speaks volumes about love, legacy, and the strength of family bonds. What a reminder of the beauty in honoring those who paved the road before us. This is the kind of legacy that inspires us all. What a family!”
