“The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected.”  ~ Nicholas Sparks

You may have seen them gracing the top of your Google search page—those curious drawings incorporating the company’s most famous logo, and some amazing bit of history for that day.

In the past, Google has featured images incorporating the ‘First Lady of Song’ Ella Fitzgerald, mathematician Leonhard Euler, and even “Water Lilies” by Claude Monet (my personal favorite). Each sketch is intended to draw the reader in, a little closer still, to learn something new and previously undiscovered about this particular day.

They are thoughtful, provocative, and a simply a joy to ‘click.’

And, each year Google places this great task into the most capable hands of students from kindergarten through grade 12 everywhere. Through their annual Doodle 4 Google contest, students are asked to submit artwork based on a theme.

This year, students were asked to depict their ‘very best day ever.’

For Sparta High School senior, Sabrina Brady, she had no trouble at all remembering the day—as, it was the day her father returned from an 18-month deployment in Iraq. And though, she was only just 10 years old at the time—she captured the sentiment of this moment so brilliantly. Her artwork, entitled “Coming Home” shows Sabrina running to the arms of her father.

“His legs, they were shaking and didn’t work at the time because everything was so emotional,” she said, referring to this long awaited embrace.

The transition from her dreary black and white world, to full color was intentional. As well as, that final hesitation before leaping into her father’s arms. It was “intended to capture the surprise of finally being reunited after being apart so long.”

Google’s Ryan Germick had this to say,

“Her creative use of the Google letters to illustrate this heartfelt moment clearly resonated with voters across the country and all of us at Google.”

Her most heartwarming doodle will appear all day today on Google’s homepage, and Sabrina will be awarded a $30,000 scholarship for her inspiration. As well, this year Google has extended their prize to include a $50,000 technology grant for Sabrina’s school.

Now, this…is a most wonderful way to end this day.

Namaste, and great job, Sabrina! And thank you for the gift of your inspiration. It is a most poignant reminder of the impact of this ‘war’ on our children.

Video: Google Doodle

http://youtu.be/DqzQZg65IDM

 

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Ed: Kate Bartolotta