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My Surprise Celebration,
I was having a relatively good day despite the constraints that COVID-19 had put on things… I was half-way through the day on which I was transitioning into my fifties. So far, I had worked some, and been lazy some, and read a few of the many, many cards I received in the mail. I was working on my computer in the basement when I heard Cam yell down that there was someone coming up the driveway… not understanding why that might need my attention I yelled that I was coming and tried to quickly wrap up the task I was in the middle of… when shortly there came another message down the stairwell with a tad more confusion and urgency in the voice… at which point I dropped what I was doing and bounded up the stairs.
Doing so brought me into earshot of what was confusing my wife… there were several cars blasting their horns and slowly moving up the main driveway and surrounding our house from two directions. I made my way onto the porch, still trying to understand what was up, and I now heard the trumpet, tambourine and drumming that was adding to the cacophony emanating from this band of marauders who had invaded my driveways.
At this point my face started to widen and the skin on my cheeks stretched and tightened as I realized it was a group of my friends who had come to attempt a socially distanced celebration of my mountain summiting achievement (you know, I got to the top of the hill that I’m now descending, LOL). At which point I didn’t know where to look or what to say… I just stood there with a big dopey grin as well wishers dashed out of their cars and placed cards and gifts on the driveway and lawn several meters in front of me before dashing back to the safety of their socially distanced automobiles.
It was quite the little event. It only lasted a few minutes with some short conversations and waves from afar and then it was over… but not really over… because I’m still smiling more than a week later as I write this and I’m sure I’ll remember for a long time to come this most memorable of birthdays in my many years of birthdays.
Thank you to all who participated in this and who responded to my wife’s call for 50 cards… with an astounding 133 CARDS not to mention all the well wished on Facebook!!!! I guess you are all relieved of any requirement to send cards until I am 134 (Especially my niece who sent 50!!! of those herself). I am truly a blessed man and I thank God for each of you being in my life.
This is the only photo I have from the event… not sure if anyone else thought to grab some, but in the moment I did not.
Thanks,
George
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)