I turned 59 last week.  Since my birthday is December 22, it coincided, as it often does, with the start of school break.  You'd think there was no better gift a teacher could receive on his birthday, and usually that's true. But this year was different.

After getting home from work to see that Rose, our 19 year old ,had decorated the dining room table with Dollar Store decorations, the birthday wishes began: family and friends who took time out of their Christmas preparation called to wish me well as I start my 60th year on this rock. My wonderful wife prepared my standard birthday meal: Jumbalaya, along with a maple frosted birthday cake. This day couldn't get any better, and now it was time to relax. I put on my pajamas, poured a glass of merlot, and sat with Rose and Sue to watch one of my birthday gifts: "Jurassic World".

No more than 10 minutes into the movie (we hadn't even seen a single dinosaur yet) we heard someone pull into our driveway. I hoped it was just the neighbors, but then a car door closed, and it was clearly someone coming tup our porch. I muttered, "Here I am in my pajamas with a glass of wine watching a movie! Who's here now? I just want to relax."  

I grumbled my way to the door just as this intruder knocked. I opened the door to see a young lady. Perhaps she's having car trouble and needs help?

"Hi." She said.

"Hi," I returned, still not letting the young lady into my house, not knowing who she was.

Then she grins, "Happy birthday!"

Still not recognizing her, and trying to run through my mind who I might know in this age group who would come to my door for my birthday, I thanked her for the well wishes.  Then the light came on.

It was our 26 year old daughter from New York!  "OH MY WORD!" I screamed, and hugged her as if I'd never let her go. She had come to surprise us, and was going to spend December 22-27 with us.  She'd be home for Christmas.

In my defense, I know what my daughter looks like, but we had just spoken to her on the phone a few hours earlier when she called me for my birthday. She was, as far as I knew, on her way home from work and about to go to her boyfriends house for supper. I simply didn't expect to see her at our door in Maine!  But what a treat it was. And of course, her sister, Rose, was in on it all along, and got my awkward greeting on video to replay and laugh at over and over. And we have.

59 is off to a great start.