Happy Anniversary!

BEFORE MY AUNT AND UNCLE ARRIVED

 

What we all expected: That my Aunt Delores' two sisters (my mother and my Aunt Sandy) would be front and center to celebrate. Which, of course, they were. As sisters, they have stayed incredibly close over the years, often making me long for a sister of my own, especially as I get older.

 

What we all got: My uncle Joe, who hasn't attended a family gathering in over 15 years, not only came, but was his old self. The Uncle Joe I remember - funny, entertaining, talkative (even with the post larynx cancer-tracheotomy device that lends his voice a Darth Vader quality he so often uses to freak people out for his own amusement). Why he separated from our family all these years isn't important, at least not to me. And whether he makes the effort to stay in touch at this point isn't as relevant today as his presence was yesterday. It was wonderful - because it was so unexpected - to see my mother, her two sisters, and the brother they love and have missed for so many years, dancing, laughing, connecting.

THE ARRIVAL

  

What my aunt and uncle expected: A quiet dinner with their daughter Lori and their grandchildren.

What they got: A huge surprise party, complete with video montage of their life together, a room full of people who love them, and ... it must be said ... one amazing cake! And most important of all, their daughter Becki, who is in a wheelchair and who has been in the hospital since last spring, was able to get a day pass to attend the party (hence my aunt's emotional "What the hell are you doing here?!" to the woman in the wheelchair, in this clip above.)


Overall, a great day of unexpected things for many people - and another life lesson about just how rewarding the unexpected can be.

Til next time, expect the unexpected.
~ Hasky