Saturday, September 20, 2014

The Element of Surprise

I love surprises.  Giving, receiving, planning….all of it.  We are in the middle of planning a family surprise that has been close to two years in the making (and no, it doesn’t involve adding anything or anyone to our current family of four, so don’t even go there!).  I’ll share more in a few weeks, but trust me; it’s going to be great! 

I realize that not everyone is as enthusiastic about surprises as I am.  Breaking it down I think there are 3 main types of surprises.

The first is the least fun, the unexpected surprise that results in a serious life change.  It could be that you are laid off or are diagnosed with an illness.  Whatever it is, it catches you off guard and may even send your world into a tail spin.  These “surprises” appear to be nothing but bad news, but usually after a little time, you realize another door opened that changed things for the better.

The second kind of surprise is the one where you are the “surprise-r”. It’s your idea and you get to plan how it goes down.  The anticipation and excitement builds as you put everything into place.  Chances are you have to ask others for help.  At that point an amazing thing happens; they feel your excitement and get excited too.  It’s contagious.  It happens if you are planning an event, big or small.  It happens when you find the perfect gift for someone.  When you start to think about their reaction to the surprise, you are filled with happiness.  Next time you’re in this situation, take time to appreciate this feeling.  Enjoy the excitement that it brings.  Know that regardless of what the surprise-e’s reaction is in the end, it has all been worth it for you to enjoy this process of planning something special for someone.

The third kind of surprise is the one when you are the “surprise-e”.  It’s when you open a gift and see something that you mentioned in passing months ago.  Or it’s when you walk into a room and realize that all of these people are here for you.  I had that experience last year when my husband planned a surprise 40th birthday party for me.  As my brain frantically tried to process all that was going on around me, I looked around the room at all the faces looking back at me.  Each person’s presence was one more surprising than the last. Each person represented a part of my life throughout the years.  It was overwhelming, humbling and heartwarming all at the same time.   When you are the surprise-e take the time to realize all the love and thoughtfulness behind the gesture. 

This short blog may not have been enough to convince you that surprises are wonderful, exciting and fun regardless of whether you are the surprise-r or the surprise-e.  These are situations where it truly is the thought that counts. To have someone in your life that thinks enough of you to do something so thoughtful is truly a blessing and a memory that will stay in your heart forever. 

Heart-FULLy yours, 

Kacey

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