A surprise party

What was I thinking? Honestly, I had trepidations. This could go either way. Or in any direction.

A party could be too much for him. It could be confusing to meet so many people. It could be overwhelming or an unwelcome surprise.

My Burt is a very social guy. He’s made lots of friends in our building. He is sometimes direct and confrontational, but he loves to engage and interact with people.

For his 84th birthday, I wanted to combine my plan to offer him activities and company with a celebration of his special day.

We started slow with a ‘pop-in’ visit from a dear friend of mine. She came bearing flowers for him. He was charmed.

It wasn’t a party yet. Our doorman and friend came up with a card and a greeting. They chatted.

After an interval and when he was expecting his speech therapist, an old friend came in. She had been our neighbor in the “old apartment,” and he remembered.

Then, people began to show up in earnest. I couldn’t tell, even after M. sang the birthday song if he knew it was his party.

Apparently, he did. When the crowd cleared, he thanked me for making his life exciting.

His whole-hearted appreciation was wonderful. His joy at the attention was great, too.

Although I thought he seemed a bit confused during the event, he was a tad sharper after it.

I guess that’s what I was thinking!