I used to love to hide from my sisters, then bolt out and surprise them when they didn’t expect it. Startling them was my goal, watching for that astonished reaction was my reward. It was a real disappointment if I wasn’t clever enough to make them jump and scream. Children like this game, although most would agree that it is preferable to be the instigator, not the victim. Surprise is a useful strategy. It is a tactic used to win battles in times of war, but it is not always easy to carry out.
    I remember an occasion when my siblings and I tried to treat Mom and Dad to an unexpected anniversary party. The master plan directed vehicle parking to the east side of the machine shed, since the guests of honor should have arrived from the west. Due to the bubbling and boiling of the gravel roads that spring, and probably Dad’s shrewd senses, he smelled a rat and took the long way around on the pavement and spotted what looked like a car dealership on my lawn from several miles away. The surprise wasn’t exactly ruined, it was simply reversed. He and Mom parked on the east side of the shed with all the other vehicles, sneaking in the back door while we watched expectantly in the other direction for their arrival.
    I was involved in a genius plot to surprise my husband’s parents with a celebration of their 65th wedding anniversary this past week. Nobody thought it could be done. We vowed to try. A few questions had to be side-stepped along the way. Communications had to be discreet. The urge to come clean was strong. The pledge to remain silent was difficult to keep. Everyone worked quietly completing their assigned tasks on schedule. Much to our surprise and delight we succeeded in keeping the secret for weeks. The honored couple didn’t jump and scream at the moment of truth, but they will be recovering for weeks to come.
    It was almost as much fun as scaring the liver out of my sisters. I don’t know why the unexpected is so entertaining, so gratifying. We all watch news programs that report the unusual. The media and daily conversations center on the astounding and the shocking. Everyday we are dumbfounded and flabbergasted at some event or development. You would think that after a while, especially 65 years of marriage, nothing would be surprising anymore. And if you believe that might be possible, April Fool.