I'm not a mom...but I'm bursting at the seams for my friend and her son! Gisela (pronounced Gee-sella) wasn't in work yesterday. I was worried first thing because it was so foggy all over Pennsylvania in the morning and she has to drive from almost an hour away. I found out, later in the day, why she hadn't made it to work.

Her son, Tony Stewart (Cincinnatti Bengals tight end...not the race car driver), after being nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, was eligble to write an essay for the Teacher of the Year award for 2004. He was just one of 32 NFL players to write an essay on his most influential teacher. They found out Wednesday morning that he had won the recognition for his 3rd grade teacher, and it so happened he was home (here in Pa., instead of his new home in Cincinnatti) visiting family and friends after the Bengals failed to make the playoffs. He decided to surprise his beloved teacher, at her school (of which she is still teaching) yesterday. Gisela attended the surprise ceremony...along with Tony's wife and new baby and his in-laws.

It was on all the local news channels (Tony had to have the event taped for the NFL celebration, and the principal of the school decided to call the local news media) and in all the local newspapers. The rewards for winning this essay contest are quite incredible and I just had to share our local celebrity elation!

Click the link (below) if you want to read "The Morning Call" article (the most local newspaper in my parts...out of Allentown, where Tony grew up). Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I'm so happy for my friend and her son!

Tony Stewart

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Minds are like parachutes. They only work when they are open.

~Thomas Dewar~