Surprise!

Article for Bethlehem Matrimonial - April 2013

As customary to anyone in the IT industry, we also look forward to the weekends to unload the bags that seem to be always full with never ending work during the week. On one such weekend, in between a drive to one of the numerous shopping malls in this desert country, I was casually mentioning to my wife about the good old evening snacks made of rice and how long it had been since we had one.

The weekend went by and we were back to the grind of the weekdays’ schedule. During the mid of the week on an unusually busy and hectic day I reached home even more tired than usual. I had already complained to my wife about how the day was progressing and guess it was quite obvious how disturbed I was when I reached home. All what I wanted was to hit the bed and have a good night’s sleep. Nevertheless we sat down as usual for our evening tea. All of a sudden I saw a casserole appearing from nowhere on the table. That was something very strange since we usually had some biscuits or so along with the tea. I was totally puzzled. She asked me to go ahead and open the lid and I promptly followed the instruction.

It is not an exaggeration if I say whatever complaints I had during that horrendous day just vanished into thin air seeing what was there on the table awaiting me! What was a casual reference to the rice snacks during the previous weekend was there right in front of me. I was elated to the ninth heaven with this absolutely unexpected treat from my beloved! That made my day and needless to say how relaxed I had been after receiving such a lovely surprise.

Many a times what we do not realize is the fact that surprises need not be expensive. We really do not have to think about the diminishing bank balance or increasing credit card limit while planning for a surprise to your loved ones. If you are truly in love, a simple act of surprise will have an even greater value than what the price tag says. It is the intention that matters and not the content.

I honestly believe that everyone in this world loves surprises, of course pleasant ones. This is all the more important while you are married since this is an essential way of showing how much you care and love each other. When you surprise your partner, with a planned gift or otherwise, it shows that you spent some time to think about the significant other in your life.

I keep hearing people ask the question, ‘How is life’? Surprises you get and give in your life helps you answer that question with an emphatic ‘Great’ or ‘Awesome’ whereas a life deprived of these will be one of the most mundane way of living that you have nothing new to be happy about.

What is important and needs to be kept in mind is that surprises can take any form. It need not necessarily be a gift which means surprises are not always to be bought from somewhere and given to your sweetheart. You will be surprised to see how a genuine compliment that you give your partner is more valuable than an expensive gift you would’ve purchased. So are acts of love like a simple hug at an unexpected moment, doing a household chore that you generally leave to your partner and a support given by identifying and encouraging a skill or a talent in your better half. At times these unplanned and non-budgeted surprises will have an even more lasting impact than their expensive counterparts.

Be aware of the value these surprises bring to our daily life and how much of an impact does it have on our physical and emotional well-being. It is quite natural that in the modern day frantic lifestyle you tend to forget to give surprises to each other. At the risk of sounding a bit mechanical it may even be a good idea to maintain a surprise log on which you will mark each time you give a surprise. One look at it will remind you when was the last time you gave a surprise to your dear ones.

Life is like a jukebox which plays the song you want for the amount you insert. Why then not play the song of life by inserting a few surprises here and there. It is only for a short while that we are here, make it worthwhile!

Ask yourself the question, “When was the last time you surprised your loved ones?”