Secret Secret, I HAD a Secret

I have been keeping a secret for almost a year now. And, it just about killed me.

Steven grew up in England and when he decided to live here permanently, one of the things he knew he would miss the most is his friends. A year ago, these two fellas (Matt and Paul) decided, over a few beers, that they would fly to America and surprise Steven. Paul would fly over from England, and Matt would get here from wherever he happened to be at the moment. Excellent idea, right? But, they needed help with the surprise, and this is where I came into play.

Matt contacted me via Facebook, told me of their plan, and asked for my assistance in making it all happen. No problem, right? I am, after all, the Queen of Planning. But, then I realized what this meant. I would not be able to discuss this with Steven. I wouldn't be able to plan with him, make arrangements, shop for food, do a thorough cleaning, or even change sheets without him suspecting something! This was a huge task for me, as I share just about everything with Steven. The only things I don't share are the things I don't remember. My life is an open book. No secrets. But wait, I would have to keep my mouth SHUT, and SHUT for a long time. Folks, this was NO easy task for me.

As the time drew near, I became increasingly nervous, so much had to go right. Matt had been living in Hong Kong the last year studying, and then traveled through the western US and down through Mexico, Central America, flew to Miami and then bussed (yes, by GREYHOUND!) to Charleston. His bus arrived at 3:00. His brother, who he had not seen in a year, flew from England, via Atlanta, and his flight arrived at 4:00. I had to find a way out of the house, pick both up and get them back here in one piece. Steven was shooting a wedding that day, so luck was on my side. I had worried for months about it all coming together, but when it came down to it, it was easier said than done. Eveyone was on time, no complications and the surprise was classic.

All the worry, stress, secret keeping and planning was well worth it. Steven was so thrilled and happy to see his friends and spend the last 10 days with them. They caught up on all their mutual friends, played endless games of Scrabble, drank loads of beer, swam in the surf, found sand dollars, drank more beer, watched football (English football), played the Wii, giggled, teased and just enjoyed the very special camaraderie that boys seem to have.

We all get so caught up in the material gifts we give each other. I know I stress on end about the perfect birthday and Christmas gift. But, when I saw the happiness these three felt while together, it reminded me that the best gift we can give is ourselves, and our time. I felt very honored to be a part of this secret and making it all happen. I have many more blogs to share about this great surprise and all that happened while they were here. But, for today, I just want to sit here and reflect on the special time we all had, as a result of this SECRET.

SURPRISE!!