Written by Two weekends ago, I had a rare opportunity to completely surprise my mom for her birthday. My sister and her family took my parents to Disney World in Orlando, FL for my mom’s birthday. My brother and I unfortunately had to work the weeks before and after. My sister wanted to have us come on the trip to celebrate with them. It just didn’t seem possible. My mom’s birthday was 2/3 (Saturday) and I had a very busy Friday and Monday upcoming. On a whim, I spoke with my manager and explained to him the situation. To my luck, he said I could take the Monday off and for me to do what I had to do as this is a special occasion. Usually, my work becomes very difficult to take off without notice. It creates a big holdup in workflow. My manager is awesome and he wanted to accommodate. This was Wednesday. I had actually just spoken to my mom on the phone and she was completely understanding that I couldn’t go but seemed sad about it nonetheless. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go as I had a very busy week and was already tired. I decided to just do it. I booked my flight and left Friday night, getting into Orlando at 5am. My sister left me a key at the front desk and I was able to stealthily get into the room and get some more needed sleep. The rest of the family woke up and still my mom had no idea. Everyone else was in on it. As they were singing happy birthday to my mom in the morning, I popped out of the room I was in on the final “happy birthday to youuuuu!” with a bow on my head (my sister’s idea). My mom was at first scared, then shocked, then absolutely overjoyed. She ran over, gave me a big hug and started crying at how happy she was. Thinking about this moment still becomes emotional. In that one moment, the painful act of traveling, an excessively turbulent flight in which I couldn’t sleep, and sheer exhaustion from a busy work day right into flying across the country was all worth it. The rest of the weekend was short but an absolute blast. It took me several days to get back to “normal” but I wouldn’t have changed that experience of surprising my mom for anything.
Family and friends are so important in life. The people we love and share these kinds of moments with are worth the trouble. I have to tell myself frequently when I don’t feel I have the energy to keep plans or participate in events. In a way, these things are like work. You have to put in the effort but it’s worth it in the end.
That is so awesome you were there for your mom at such a big birthday. It is always worth it when it comes to family. She will always remember and cherish the times you visit.
💕