The Surprise Party

Last night my husband, Hassan and I enjoyed a little surprise party. The party wasn’t really for us but we enjoyed it just the same. In the late afternoon we had just decided to a nap when our daughter Mimi announced that she had organized a birthday party for herself. The party was at a pub in Decatur, Georgia. The problem was that she wanted to enjoy beer, legally, but needed someone to do the driving. Needless to say we got up and hit the road doing our best to do so with an enthusiastic spirit. Driving to Decatur had not been a part of my evening plan. Sometimes taking a detour from “the plan” brings with it unexpected pleasures. The nice surprise for us was that the group of young people gathering for a birthday toast happened to be many of Mimi’s high school friends. These are young people we really enjoyed knowing but most of whom we had not seen for some time. It was so nice to get to visit with everyone, to catch up a bit and to see how these kids are becoming young adults. An added surprise was that one of Mimi’s friend’s mom came to visit too.

I am always so grateful to my children for their ability to coax me out of my routine while encouraging me to take detours. Even though it was Mimi’s birthday, I enjoyed the surprise party and enjoyed the gift that her spontaneity provided me.