There are many definitions for the word “Surprise” in the English dictionary:

To cause to feel wonder, astonishment, or amazement, as at something unanticipated

To encounter suddenly or unexpectedly; take or catch unawares

To feel mild astonishment or shock

My children never cease to surprise me. Yesterday was Mother’s Day and my six-year old, Luke, woke me up with a card, a Best Mom in the World Certificate crayoned here and there and a “Happy Valentine’s Day,  Mom” whisper in my ear. He loves mixing things up, so life is never boring.

 My 22-year -old daughter, Lia, was meticulously planned, down to the due date and the fact that I had designed the pregnancy to take place during autumn and winter, giving me enough time to get my figure back for the summer. I had also bought an enormous, deliciously fluffy blue duck, which I had put on my bed in great anticipation for the grand event. My mother had had two girls; my sister had three, so I felt I was almost duty-bound to produce a boy. Given all this, it would be correct to assume that it came to me as a surprise when Lia popped out instead of Laurence, and my whole world went topsy turvy. It is said that pride goes before a fall, and in this case, it was true, because I did fall.... deeply, unconditionally and utterly in love with my baby girl.

The surprises continued to rock my world...I couldn’t indulge in playing “dress-up” with her as a toddler as she preferred nudity and divested herself of every item of clothing at the drop of a hat, usually indulging in this pass-time during parties where everyone else’s little darlings were decorated in designer gear. Later, Lia’s teachers were also victims in making the wrong predictions. On her very first sports day at nursery school, there was great excitement from the parents, who, armed with the latest in cameras and video equipment, stood on the sidelines with bated breath. I, off course, had visions of my child breaking the ribbon at the finish line of the running race to the strains of "Chariots of Fire”, playing miraculously in the background. When the whistle blew and little people sprang into action, Lia quite calmly sat down. I was taken aback, mortified and quite irritated when the teacher with a smirk on her face said knowingly, “Well, she’s probably not going to do so well at sport....!”

Surprise! Swimming became an enormous part of Lia’s life and she excelled at open water swims like the Midmar Mile and the Telkom Sun City Swim. She was a first-team swimmer, her team winning the Inter-House Gala consecutively for the five years that made up her high school career. Being a water baby, she started skiing at around age 12 and went on to compete at wake-boarding competitions, placing second at National level. She eventually mastered running, and took place in many cross-country events.

The real bombshell hit towards the second half of her Matric year, when Lia announced that she wanted to take a gap year. I was hugely taken aback, but resigned myself to the fact that the bird was leaving the nest. On the positive side, she had a wonderful learning experience and I (at last) became acquainted with Skype.

My little boy, Luke, came as a great surprise to us all, with his blond hair and his impossibly blue eyes, just like his Dad. Just when all my friends were dealing with the “empty nest’ syndrome, I was starting all over again!

And if that’s not enough excitement for you, well, Luke is going to be an uncle when he turns seven, as Lia is expecting a baby boy at the end of this year. That makes me a granny in addition to being a mom with a little boy in primary school. Bring on the botox. All I can say is:

The road of life can only reveal itself as it is travelled; each turn in the road reveals a surprise.

 

 

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