Sometimes life is like putting on a blindfold and reaching a hand into a grab bag which includes good and bad things, sweet and sour things, things that are beautiful, and things that are ugly.

When we were born into this world, there was no clear path to what roads we’d travel, which paths we’d take, where we’ll live country-wise, state-wise, county-wise, and city, village, town, or burg-wise, and then which street on which we’d live in any of those places.

Awakening from our sleep each day, we may experience good, bad, happy, sad, days, or boring days. We may feel good, or not so well medically. We may feel good or not so well mentally. We may wake up feeling strong and able to tackle work, or physicality or we may wake up with aches and pains. We also may feel financially comfortable or “strapped for cash” on certain days.

Many times, we hear others tell us, “Life is what you make it.” That statement is true to some degree, but sometimes there are incidentals, unexpected events, circumstances, Acts of God, or good or bad behavioral actions that come from good and/or bad people, many we’ve never even met.

If we entered this world with a book in our hands that mapped our lives page by page, and we followed it word by word, it wouldn’t be worthy of being called “life,” it would just be worthy of the term, existence. There’s a huge difference between living a life and just existing day to day.

One aspect that allows us to differentiate life from existence, is uncertainty. Sometimes not knowing what’ll happen day to day is more exciting than going through robotic-like motions of knowing what’ll happen, and often the same way, day after day.

At times we need diversions in our lives, obviously ones that don’t include senselessness, tragedy, crime, or be results of intolerance, unacceptance, judgmentalism, or hatred. Sometimes we need to experience some things unexpectedly, or surprisingly. I had something happen to me recently that added to an already amazing life that I’ve lived, that was akin to an entire jar of maraschino cherries poured over the top of my ice cream sundae life.

As I’ve demonstrated numerous times in this arena, I have an endless plethora of stories I love to tell. This next one is the latest addition to my book.

Recently, I celebrated my 70th birthday.

It was a very low key celebration as Sally and I were in Cleveland, sitting in a cold, windy stadium, watching the Guardians play. Sally and I always try to talk each other out of gifting each other at Christmas, on Birthdays, Mother’s/Father’s Days, and/or our Anniversary. We consider all things we do together, going out to dinner, sporting events, concerts, trips, movies, to be gifts we share so there’s really no need to go out and buy gifts for each other. We say that every year but usually end up getting some gifts for each other. This year was no exception, but Sally got the short end of the stick.

We celebrated her birthday in Tennessee with Chasy, Richard, Richard’s daughter Myla, our grandson Josh, and great-grandson, Xavier. Chas and Richard took us to dinner the night before Sally’s birthday, and next day we grilled in the sunshine, and showered her with the gifts we got for her. She isn’t very cooperative in letting us know what she’d like, so I listen hard when she does say something, which usually ends up being something for kitchen use, or towels for the bathroom, etc. It’s not glamourous, but she does say she’d like them. She in turn, with help from our children and grandchildren, gifted me the most amazing gift I could ever have been given.

On my birthday itself, she gave me a new, leather, monogramed wallet and a baseball wallet (white horsehide with red stitching) to use for store cards, etc. I love them both, but the best was yet to come.

About four days after my birthday, our Visa statement came in the mail and as I do monthly, I looked at all that was listed, as a couple times we’ve been issued charges that we didn’t create. There was one on this bill from a local bakery that I didn’t create, so I asked Sally, and after a look of surprise, she said she did. When I asked what for, she asked me to trust her, but I had figured out something else was coming.

I subbed the next day, but said we’d go to dinner, but she had to pick where. I knew if she said The Pub, that whatever she ordered from the bakery would end up there and friends would show up to help celebrate.

She said, “The Pub,” and that should get there between 4:30-4:45. My sleuthing skills silently said, “Okay, it’s happening around 5:00 at the Pub. 4:45 came, nothing. 5:00 came, nothing. 5:15, 5:30, nothing Hating to admit it, I was wrong.

Next morning, we were up early. After deciding days earlier we’d shampoo the rugs. I surprised Sally by moving all the things upstairs we could move onto beds, then vacuumed, and all Sally had to do was the shampooing.

I came downstairs where Sally said Jon texted and wanted to do our weekly Zoom then. Being we like to Zoom separately on our own laptops, one upstairs, one downstairs, she went up (so I thought), and I began setting up downstairs. Before I got started, the doorbell rang, repeatedly. Thinking some kid was goofing around, I angrily went to the door. When I opened it, I was stunned! Standing on my front sidewalk were my children, their spouses, most of my grandsons, their girlfriends, and my two granddaughters. They came from Portland, TN, Dewittville, NY, Midlothian, VA, Buffalo, NY, Edinburg, PA, and Lakewood, NY, to surprise me for my 70th birthday.

After the shock, I was told to pack a bag, and I was husband-father-grandfather-nanu-kidnapped to the Bear Ridge Barndamonium, a pole barn event venue with a downstairs having 8 rustic rooms, each with bathroom and walk-in shower, a large dining and family area, and kitchen, where we spent the next two days together, talking, laughing, eating, playing party games, and having mini cornhole tournaments outdoors on the covered patio.

It was an amazing weekend experience, one of those unexpected surprises that validated I am living life, not just existing. It was the second greatest gift I’ve ever received exceeded only by meeting any marrying the one who started putting all this weekend together. Thanks to her, the kids, and grandkids, and after the professional photo shoot we had while there, it’s a gift I’ll carry with me to infinity and beyond. Thanks Sally, kids, and grandkids!