Sometime during the early 1980's my Mom surprised me in a rather interesting way for one of my birthdays. To be truthful, this event happened so long ago that I am not sure which birthday it was and I do not remember what my mom gave me. Having said that, I do recall waking up on December 23rd and noticing that there was a box near my bed addressed to me wishing me a Happy Birthday.
During the late 1970’s, my brother and I cleaned the house thoroughly. As a reward, my mom gave us a stack of comic books. Naturally, I do not remember what comic titles were included in the stack. However, I remember we were both very excited and had a great weekend reading comic books. I also saw that my Mom immensely enjoyed our interest in reading the comics.
For my 16th birthday, my Mom held a surprise party for me and purchased a CD player. This might not sound significant. However, it was the 1980’s and at the time, CD Players cost on average between 200-300 dollars. More importantly, I recall that my uncle was a part of the elaborate rouse in which I exited the house so that Mom could prepare the surprise party.
Needless to say, there are many other stories that share the same motif. As I reflect on these anecdotes, I fondly recall that my Mom took great joy in surprising us. In one video clip she proudly proclaimed, "See, I know what my kids like."
Unfortunately, there will be no more surprises from her as she passed on in 1990. However, reflecting on these long forgotten memories helps me understand why I too take pleasure in surprising my kids and wife. As I reminisce these events certain parallels have become evident. I also take a special pride in knowing what motivates my kids and wife. I also love to surprise my siblings. Unbeknownst to me I probably learned this through my mother’s example. With this, Happy Mother’s Day Mom! Happy Mother’s Day Este! And Happy Mother’s Day to all!!
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