Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us!
Its been a few years since I made a trip back home. So this year I thought about giving my parents and siblings the surprise of their lives. I work in New York, and my family lives in Washington DC. I know its not that far but with a demanding job, I was not able to travel. I felt guilty about letting my parents down on all the festivals, birthdays and anniversaries. So, I asked a few of my friends in DC to help me with this.
One of my friends owns an upscale restaurant in DC so I asked him to close it for a day but not to make it look like that and invite my family for a dinner as an invitation to some party. He gathered a few of our common friends and planned the whole thing. I was only giving instructions while sitting in NYC.
So on the day of arrival, I reached DC around noon and went directly to the restaurant and met with my friends. It was all perfectly planned and good to go. Around 6 pm my family entered the restaurant. My friends were already there with their families and significant others.
Everybody greeted each other and then my younger brother asked what the the occasion was and he was told that it was a surprise. And exactly at that moment I entered the room with a giant cake and shouted a Surprise! sorry for not being there on the last few festivals and other events. But I am here now and will be here for every event.
That day I saw so many familiar faces full of love, longing and surprise. That day I took the oath that I will be there no matter what because family is far more important and precious than anything else in the world.
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