Soldier's Surprise Return Creates Best Family Beach Day Ever

Bethany Bronson and her children were at the beach when they got a little underwater surprise (no, not sharks). Bronson's husband popped out of the water, decked out in scuba gear, for an early homecoming with his family.

Bronson's husband had been away for nine months — six in Afghanistan and three in domestic training. The family wasn't expecting him to return for another three weeks.

See also: 15 Exceptional Dads Who Deserve Parenting Awards

Watch the video above to see his clever surprise that turned a casual day at the beach into a heartfelt reunion. Have your tissues at the ready, people.

1. 1. Christian the Lion Is Reunited With His Owners

   In 1969, two men -- John Rendall and Ace Bourke -- adopted a lion cub from Harrods department store in London. After the cub, named Christian, grew too big, the two made the tough decision to reintroduce him to Africa.

   A year later, they hoped to visit, but were told Christian was now the head of his own pride and most likely would not remember them. They set out to find him anyway.

   Video courtesy of YouTube, AnnimalLover

2. 2. Sergeant Surprises Family at Football Game

   In early October 2012, Sergeant First Class Scott Faile was supposed to be in Korea. His family -- wife, daughter and son -- were being honored as the "military family of the game" during a University of South Carolina football game back home.

   They proudly stood on the field, surrounded by 85,000 fans, as a message from Faile was played on the stadium's jumbo screen -- what they didn't expect, though, was to see him walking onto the field minutes later.

   Video courtesy of YouTube, GamecocksOnline

3. 3. 'Sports Illustrated Kids' 2012 SportsKids of the Year: Conner and Cayden Long

   Six-year-old Cayden Long was diagnosed with cerebral palsy shortly after he was born. His nine-year-old brother, Connor, didn't see why his brother's difficulty in speaking and talking should prohibit them from being teammates -- so they began racing triathlons. Together.

   In the video above, the brothers accept awards for the Sports Illustrated Kids 2012 SportsKids of the Year.

   Video courtesy of YouTube, SIKids

4. 4. 29-Year-Old Woman Hears Herself for the First Time

   Sarah Churman was born deaf. In 2011, she received a hearing implant and was able to hear her voice for the very first time.

   Video courtesy of YouTube, sloanchurman

5. 5. Big Bird Sings at Jim Henson's Memorial

   Big Bird, singing "It's Not Easy Being Green," at Jim Henson's funeral in 1990.

   Video courtesy of YouTube, Peter Schultz

6. 6. Olympics P&G — Thank You Mom Commercial

   This touching Proctor & Gamble ad, which aired during the 2012 summer Olympics in London, shows a number of different kids from across the world growing up to eventually compete in the Olympics -- with their mothers supporting them every step of the way.

   Video courtesy of YouTube, silverchair

7. 7. StoryCorps: Danny and Annie's Story

   Danny and Annie, from Brooklyn, N.Y., were married for 27 years. In this animated short from StoryCorps, the two remember their entire romantic journey -- from their first date up to Danny's last days after struggling with terminal cancer -- through beautiful and honest reflections.

   A week after the last interview was recorded, the story was broadcast on public radio. Danny died that same day.

   Video courtesy of YouTube, StoryCorps

8. 8. Fred Rogers Acceptance Speech

   Fred Rogers, host of the long-running and beloved Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 at the 24th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

   In his speech, he asked the audience to take 10 seconds to reflect on whomever helped them get to where they are in their lives.

   "So many people have helped me to come here to this night. Some of you are here, some are far away and some are even in heaven ... Whomever you've been thinking about, how pleased they must be to know the difference you feel they have made."

   Video courtesy of YouTube, emmys

9. 9. Last Minutes With Oden

   Jason Wood's dog, Oden, had struggled with cancer for a long time. In this video, Wood documents -- in gorgeous, heart-wrenching style -- the days leading up to Oden's peaceful but long-anticipated death.

   Video courtesy of YouTube, PhosPictures

10. 10. Father and Son -- And a Sparrow

    A man pays tribute to his father -- and, specifically, his father's patience -- with this heartwarming short.

    Video courtesy of YouTube, Rajesh Natarajan

Image: Flickr, The National Guard