A Surprise Party

My family really pulled off something special yesterday. We all managed to keep a secret, and our surprise was well received.

A few weeks ago, my daughter-in-law called and told me she'd like to throw a surprise birthday party for my husband. While I loved the idea, I felt it important to tell her what happened when I threw him a surprise party twenty-seven years ago.

I enlisted the help of one of his friend to get him out of the apartment long enough for everyone to get there. Everything went smoothly except for my hubby's reaction--he was furious. After everyone left, he told me to never do that again. I didn't.

Explaining all of this to my daughter-in-law, I told her I loved the idea, but my efforts did not go over well. She listened and decided we should take the gamble. After all, the party I threw was a very long time ago, and he has surly mellowed since then.

I'm happy to say she was right. He was happy. He was actually touched at the thoughtfulness that went into planning a surprise party for him. Everyone kept the secret. We lured him to the venue by telling him we were having a birthday party for our daughter-in-law. Her birthday is three days after his, so it was a plausible ruse.

He didn't suspect a thing. I was worried he'd be suspicious of my stalling, but he apparently thought I was just being slow getting around. Once I received the text confirming everyone was in place, I grabbed my purse and told him I was ready to go.

It was beautiful. Everyone shouted "surprise" when he walked through the doorway. He chuckled and thanked them. I was behind him, so I didn't see his expression. When I made it inside and got a good look at him, I saw his face was alight with joy.

We enjoyed pizza, fruit, cookies, and veggies. My daughter-in-law even made a "fruit cake" for him. She used watermelon as the base and made a tiered cake from various fruits. He loved it. He doesn't eat sweets, so the creation was absolutely prefect.

We kept it intimate with immediate family only, and my husband has never gushed about a party so much. It really touched his heart.

Sometimes, a thoughtful gesture means more than anything. I told my daughter-in-law she did a great job, but the love in her heart humbled me.

Well done, my dear.

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