“Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks." ― Samuel Johnson
Here we are in the final week leading up to Christmas. Our 25 Day Challenge is quickly coming to an end. A near month full of kindness or acts of just being nice. Each have only taken a few minutes and were easy to accomplish.
Let me know how it went by leaving a comment.
Day Twenty-One - Surprise, Surprise
surprise (səˈpraɪz)
Verb
1. to cause to feel amazement or wonder
2. to encounter or discover unexpectedly or suddenly
3. to present with something unexpected, such as a gift
Your challenge today is simply do something unexpected for someone.
There was a character named Gomer Pyle who was a a simpleminded and gentle person on the television show with the same name. The show aired back in the mid-1960s and one of his long standing responses to something unexpected was, "Surprise, surprise, surprise."
All of us get a general good feeling from a nice surprise. An unexpected gift. An unexpected call from an old friend. An unexpected card in the mail with a note. All sorts of things can lead to very nice and appreciated surprises.
So try to do something unexpected today for another person. A spouse, a friend, a sibling or for your children. The unexpected will become a source of joy for both the giver and the receiver.
Let me know how it went and stay inspired my friends!
"Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us." ~ Boris Pasternak
Life can be full of surprises. A surprise visit from a brother to his sister's birthday party. A surprise from a son on Father's day. A surprise is what you get in return for gifting others. There is a reaction of happiness that will fill your heart with joy.
The act of giving or surprising others can really feed back great things into your life. You should give it a try sometime. Give without expectation. Surprise without expectation. As I said, it will fill you with wonder, excitement and happiness.
And as Gomer Pyle would always say on the Andy Griffith Show, "surprise, surprise, surprise."
"A story to me means a plot where there is some surprise. Because that is how life is - full of surprises." ~Isaac Bashevis Singer
So where oh where have I been the past couple of days? I have had this question asked of me several times. They say, "its not like you to disappear for a couple of days" and "have you stopped writing?" Which are nice questions to be asked, which means there are people that actually read my blog.
Where I have been is keeping a secret from our daughter Shirin. She lives in L.A. with her husband Dave. This weekend is her birthday and it has been several months since we've seen her. So in a conspiracy of epic proportion, her husband and we have been planning this birthday surprise for a couple of months.
In preparing, we had to ensure many friends back in Atlanta didn't let slip we were coming. Emails and texts between her and us meant we had to be careful what we said. It took her husband being stealthy in planning the big day. And it worked...SURPRISE.
The plot worked as planned. We arrived on Thursday afternoon, staying at a cool little guest house called The Sanborn House, not more then a block or so from their home. A great location very close to a great coffee shop called Intelligentsia to relax and take in the area called Sunset Junction.
Step outside the coffee shop to head back to the Sanborn and a great view of the Hollywood sign. But alas, our timing was such that the sign read Save The Peak. Wow...SURPRISE. Life is really full of them.
The next day, a Friday while Shirin is at work...we work with Dave to set the stage. He sets up the apartment of nearby friends where everyone will meet to surprise Shirin. She and Dave arrive on the idea of a few friends meeting to go out to a few clubs. Wow...SURPRISE. Life has a cool way of doing this. Its actually a party for her. But what about her mother and I? We are not there.
We actually arrive about fifteen minutes late (on purpose) and ring the bell. Dave has tactfully positioned her near the door so that she is the one to open it...SURPRISE. Well we were in the neighborhood and thought we'd drop by. The look of speechless wonder was wonderful. And a great evening of chatting and seeing her with all her friends was great. It was even better seeing her and Dave together enjoying the moment.
But yet another surprise. Our son Jon, in school at the University of Georgia has called. A rare snow storm in the Atlanta area created a perfect setting for playing football outside. And the perfect setting for a broken collarbone and his buddy taking him to the hospital emergency room. Wow...SURPRISE, life never seems to cease in giving them.
But all is well, he will do well and we continue to enjoy time with our daughter and husband. SURPRISE, life will work out one way or another and leave you with more.
