“The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us.” Ashley Montagu
Life: Full of Surprises... Congratulatory balloons
According to some believers, the world will meet its Maker on May 21st or by default on October 21st; some of us believe it and others don’t. I don’t. Life is to be enjoyed… and planet earth is not imploding anytime soon. We live on an incredibly fascinating planet that churns out all sorts of events daily; some of them we expect (like the weather), and others we don’t; like some of the upheavals around the world of late. Even with our crop of psychics and seers, and others who claim to know the future, one thing is certain; that life is full of surprises and some are wonderful while others are horrible.
Anyone who knows me knows I don’t like surprises. I admire people who get proposed to on national TV and such, but I’m not game for surprise parties or special little surprises… I’ve had my share of surprises, good and bad, and they are part of life. The good ones make us happy and we cherish and revisit them. The bad ones we either block out of our minds or hold close to our chests with pain. When I read the recent Daily Post prompt: describe a time you were truly surprised, I decided to share a couple of good ones I’ve had over the years.
“The road of life can only reveal itself as it is traveled; each turn in the road reveals a surprise. Man’s future is hidden.” Anon
Life: Full of Surprises... Birthday surprise
Some years ago, when I was still teaching, one group of students in an English Literature class decided to surprise me with a Thank you & Birthday party as a way to show their appreciation for the help they received in preparation for a big exam. It was the end of the semester and, as usual, I was expecting us to have a small in-class celebration with food and treats. Everyone came in with wrapped gifts, a lot of food, and a huge cake which was odd to me because our parties were usually small. Then a class leader emerged and announced the surprise. I was quite taken aback by their kindness, and there were tears and laughter all around… It remains a great memory. What about you?
