On Secrets & Surprises

I'm extremely impatient and can rarely keep secrets. My closest friends know this about me, which is why it's a good thing they didn't fill me in prior on some events that transpired last weekend.

I'm the kind of person that will describe to you, in great detail, the present I bought you for your birthday before I gift it to you, just in case you don't like it. My motto is over-sharing is caring, which makes it hard for me to keep tight-lipped about anything.

But last weekend, as my fiancee and I walked into a room of our closest friends, not knowing we were being thrown a surprise Southern-Themed engagement party on Valentine's Day, it finally clicked. People keep secrets and plan surprises because it's that much more magical when it happens!!! That evening, I almost collapsed on the floor of excitement as I realized our v-day dinner was actually a gathering of friends both near and out-of-town, who had spent the whole day cooking and planning and decorating just for us.

It's hard to describe the surreal feeling of that much love and thought channeled into one room, so I'll leave it to pictures, mostly of delicious southern-inspired food (think mac n' cheese, fried chicken and okra) and mason jars filled with delicate flowers, plus a sweet Earl Gray cake that I won't soon forget.

It's interesting how the events leading up to a wedding are sometimes a celebration, not just of a union, but of unions. I feel closer than ever to my friends, connected by each others ups and downs, appreciative of this generous slice of joy they've gifted us.  

What is one of the sweetest surprises that you can recall in your life? How did you feel after it happened? Please share.

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