So last night I surprised my wife. You know, the one who writes sometimes over at 25 Failures.
10 days before (on the 5th) she had turned 40. And it was going to be a crazy week. I knew that for a while before it. We had talked about doing something big for turning 40 and with everything going on with the potential house, Moriah’s graduation, Toby’s late birthday party, school, life and everything she just didn’t feel up to planning something big. We talked about getting away for a few days and that just didn’t seem like it could work out.
So I planned a surprise party. Nothing huge. A few friends, hosted at a friend’s house. Wings and beverages and conversation. Laid back and with a relatively small group of close friends, just like my wife would prefer.
And I invited someone from out of town: her older sister Donna.
Donna and her husband Bruce drove in yesterday with their family from Michigan. TC was floored. We haven’t seen Donna in 2 ½ years and haven’t seen their family for another year on top of that. Both of those visits were rushed and filled with angst for varying reasons (funeral, wedding, etc.). So when I thought “who would Theresa want at her surprise party” Donna was at the top of the list. And she was willing to come!
See, I had let her birthday go by with really nothing. I didn’t get her a present. I was apologetic and even had the next morning off so why don’t we go get a hotel room and sleep in? Wouldn’t work…was showing a rental house the next day.
And then I was quiet. Which is hard for me. But I didn’t say anything and got a party together with several of our favorite people.
I like it when my wife feels appreciated. And I like giving her special experiences…and now this weekend she’ll have lots of time with her older sister who she rarely sees and have the day to spend with them on Monday.
A successful surprise and a happy wife. A good evening, I’d say.
#Optimism and Irony 