My mom turned 50 on Oct. 17, 2012 and my dad called me in September to ask if I wanted to help be a part of a surprise party for her. I, of course, was very excited to be in on a surprise for her, the woman who has unceasingly given everything to me and my siblings all of her life. It was about time that she got to have a surprise in her honor, celebrating the amazing person she is! I remember the rush that came over me as I thought about how cool it would be to be in on this surprise! My dad made an invitation and asked Jenni, Zach, and I to come up with a list of names of families/people my mom knew/impacted over the years. I cannot tell you how fun it was thinking of the many families she has baby-sat for, taught piano to, interacted with in church, in the community, etc.! To this day, I think we couldn't think of all of the people, whose lives she has touched. That is a testament to the kind of person my mom is.
As my siblings and I came up with names and contacted family after family to invite them to this surprise event, my feelings of excitement intensified even further. Yet, they soared higher than I ever expected one day when I had a conversation with my dad once again. He told me that Chris had talked to him about this event previously in the week and said he might fly in for it since it would truly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience he wouldn't want to pass up. I will never forget the thoughts that entered my mind in that moment. Maybe I'll fly in too! Is it possible? Can it be done?!?! I asked Jenni and Zach and they felt the same way, yet we recognized the craziness of it all! This party was scheduled to take place Oct. 27th, just 10 days after mom's birthday. This event was happening at a time when Zach and Jenni both had important mid-terms to study for in college and I had parent-teacher conferences the next week, which would require making sure all of my grades were up to date prior to entering all of my report card scores! We can't do this! It's too crazy! It will cost too much! Josh, Ani, & Jonny, who lived in Ohio at the time, said that if everyone was going to come in for mom's party, they would drive in too. However, as time progressed, Ani had some health problems and Josh had a test in medical school that was going to be more difficult than anything he had taken before then so the likelihood of them being able to come to the party looked dimmer and dimmer.
This situation reminded me of a time years ago when my siblings and I went to Knoebels amusement park in Elysburg, PA on a summer day. Josh, Jenni, Zach, Emi, and I went to the park with the intent of purchasing the sun-down pass (i.e. late afternoon/after dark ride pass). Since we were going there late afternoon into the evening, we vowed we would definitely NOT ride the Skloosh, a huge flume ride similar to the Tidal Force at Hershey Park. The splash that it produces is crazy and soaks every inch of you. I, of course, was in complete agreement with everyone. I knew if we rode it, we would shiver the whole night with no hopes of drying off completely. Out of nowhere, after riding many rides at the park that night, Josh said, "Guys, let's ride the Skloosh." My initial reaction was, "No way!" We already talked about this! We'll get soaked! We'll be cold the whole night! No chance! Yet, surprisingly, Emi's reaction was not the same as my own. A grin spread across her face and she agreed to do it! At this point, it was like a chain of dominoes began to cascade before my very eyes. After Emi said she would ride it, Zach said he was in... then Jenni was in... it was then that I succumbed to the peer pressure that comes from the Merris siblings and I acquiesced. We rode the Skloosh and as expected, we walked around sopping wet for the remainder of the night. Was it worth it?!? Heck yes!!!! We did something cool, crazy, spontaneous... and stupid, but better than that, we did something cool, crazy, spontaneous... and stupid together. The situation with my mom and her surprise party was no different than the Skloosh fiasco! Once Chris said that he might fly in for mom's party, the dominoes began to fall in a chain reaction once again. Once Chris said he was in, Zach, Jenni, Josh, and I hopped on board. We were going to do it!!!!
It wasn't until the end of September or early October that I looked up plane flights and found round-trip flights for $262! This deal may not sound the best, but believe me, it was incredible! Flights flying to PA a day prior or a day after that date cost in the $500 range! It was as if fate was smiling its huge grin in our direction; everything was falling into place so well. I asked Zach, Jenni, and Chris if they were in and they, after saying how crazy it was, said they were! We would fly in on Friday night (Oct. 26th) on a direct flight, get in around midnight or so, stay at grandma's house, and set up for the party the next afternoon so that we could be a part of it that night! We'd leave to go back to UT early Sunday morning, giving us a total of 2 nights in PA.
Can I just say how incredibly hard it was to talk to my mom in the months leading up to her party?!?! I felt like I was about to burst- this was the woman I tell everything to! I have to say, it was a rush talking to her and hearing her have absolutely NO inclination about the surprise that awaited her! I even talked to her on her birthday and she had no idea what was coming! I also remember talking to Emi on the phone in the month prior to the party (she didn't know about it either- we wanted to surprise her too) and it just felt so cool knowing that we would be seeing her! On one phone conversation, we talked about Halloween and she asked to borrow a doll costume I had worn in years prior for the occasion. I told her on the phone that I would mail it to her, knowing full well that I would be bringing it to her in person in a matter of days!
The days leading up to the event were stressful to say the least! Jenni and Zach were studying and I was trying to ensure that I had all of the stuff I would need to fill out report cards and be ready for parent-teacher conferences. The day of the flight, I had to rush away from a Friday meeting and I still had to finish the iMovie video that would be played at mom's party the next night! I usually sleep on flights, but I didn't do that on this one. I spent the full 4+ hours working on her video, but I wasn't completely done after that! I still had to finish it! We got to PA somewhere around 12 or 1 am and we were all pretty hungry by that time since we hadn't eaten much that day. We rented a car and Chris drove us home from the Philly airport. Since we were hungry, we stopped at a legit diner called, "Jenny's Diner" where we were served by a husky-voiced waitress named Bubbles. That's right, Bubbles. Let that marinate in your brain for a little while! Man oh man, I WISH I would've been more hungry for the bounty of food they served at that place! I ordered chicken parmesan with spaghetti and was served a mountain! I couldn't even finish it! Zach got a piece of cake with ice-cream for his dessert and it was monstrous! As we were pulling out to leave the diner, Bubbles came to the rescue and brought me my wallet, which I had accidentally left on the seat I was at! I don't even want to think about the kind of craziness that would have resulted had Bubbles not come to my aid! Bubbles- I owe you my life!
After leaving the diner, I remember being really tired in the car. The sleepiness was creeping in and it was at this point that music worked its magic and came to the rescue. Chris turned on a station that was playing pretty loud music to help him stay awake. There was a distinct moment in the car where we all heard the theme song from Dawson's Creek called, "I Don't Want to Wait." At that moment, we all started busting the song out at the top of our lungs! It was one of those epic moments you just never forget. We got to grandma's house around 2:30 or 3 am (I can't remember) and met Josh, Ani, & Jonny there! They were able to come!!! Despite Josh's intense test coming up shortly after that weekend, he and Ani made the sacrifice and drove all the way from Ohio to PA in honor of this surprise! We were all pretty tired when we got to grandma's house and were hoping to go to sleep fairly soon. Little did we know we would be sleeping on the leather recliners grandma had in her living room. Josh, Ani, and Jonny got a room upstairs... and we got couch seats. To add to it, the house was humid and sticky so every move we made on the leather just made us stick and struggle to be comfortable. The recliners didn't recline all the way so sleeping on them wasn't really happening. Jenni and I still laugh at the thought of seeing Chris on his recliner. He was on a seat and just looked so uncomfortable- his tall body was just way too big to sleep on that chair! And poor Zach- he was summoned to an air mattress that he said was not ideal to sleep on. Oh to have taken a picture in that moment! I am SURE that the looks on our faces were priceless! Hahaha! Sticky... sweaty... miserable... and priceless!
The next morning, I tried to get up decently early to work on the video for mom again, this time with the intent of finishing it. Grandma made a breakfast for us, which consisted of egg, bread (maybe), and cream cheese mixed together with blueberries on top. It was gross and we all felt the same way without even having to say a word to each other. At the risk of disappointing her or making her feel bad, we pretended to like it. Jenni and Chris had a moment in the dining room where they looked at each other and Jenni realized based on Chris' expression, that he didn't like the breakfast either. At that point, she laughed hysterically and I think they tried to inconspicuously dump the breakfast while grandma wasn't looking. While everyone ate breakfast, I finished the video and showed it to my siblings. I remember Chris getting a little emotional as we watched it, which spread to each of us. We all felt a closeness and a bond in that moment, as we realized how close a life-changing event was for us all. In a matter of hours, we would see our mom in person! After the video was finished, Chris bought a DVD and converted the iMovie project over to it. Jenni got ready at the house, but I found it too sticky in there to get ready. I worried that my hair would be a hot mess and my makeup would melt off. Hence, I waited until we got to the church to get ready. Shortly before I left grandma's house, I walked into the backyard and talked to my mom on the phone. A storm was supposed to come that night (a bad one) and I remember feeling antsy as I spoke to her and asked what she was up to that day/night. She was under the impression that she, Emi, and dad would be going to Red Lobster that night to celebrate their birthdays (my parents each have a birthday in October). The anticipation was killing me! Thankfully, I wouldn't have to wait much longer to unveil the surprise!
Before I got to the church, I had to buy dry shampoo in an effort to tame the lioness mane I was sporting! It helped significantly and I stayed cool as I did my makeup and got ready in the air-conditioned church. While I got ready, Jenni and Zach helped my dad to set up the tables/decorations. We had hoped that Emi would go to the church at that time to help set up so we could surprise her, but she wasn't too keen on spending the day with dad so we didn't end up getting to see her until she showed up for the party that night. Once everything was set up, the butterflies amped up in my stomach even more! In a few hours, we would be in business! Once it got closer to the moment of the first surprise (i.e. where all of the guests would surprise mom), all of my siblings and I went into a room near the gym together and turned off the light. We listened with earnestness and anticipation and eventually heard the gym fill with the loud cheers, "Surprise!" We heard our dorky dad say, "Jo Ann, are you surprised?!?!" in a microphone as people laughed. As people mingled and interacted with my mom, we continued to wait in that little room for our surprise. The minutes spent in there felt like an eternity, as we knew that the second surprise (all of us coming out at the end of the video to spend her birthday celebration with her in person) was happening soon! It was when our dad played the video that we knew our entrance was imminent. I cannot even begin to describe the feeling we all had in that little room located near the gym. We talked with each other, we laughed with each other, and more than that, we shared a bond with one another. I've learned in my older years that it is a rarity to have every single member of the family together often. As a result of Josh having a family of his own in OH and us living so far away in UT, it's just not always possible to have the whole crew in each other's presence at one time. That's why it was so neat that we had all made it a priority to be there for my mom's special event.
As I sat in that room, I never felt closer to my siblings. We were all there for a common purpose- to show our mom how much she meant to every single one of us; to show her that we owed who we are to who she is. It should be noted that those stinkin' brothers of mine did some "manly" stinky things while in that tiny room and even tried to accuse me of liking their gas! Losers! Hahaha! In all seriousness, though, I will never forget, as long as I live, the feeling of unity and oneness I felt as we huddled together before we entered that gymnasium. For those siblings, I would do anything... go anywhere... give my life. And I feel that way because of the bond that my mom fostered between each of us. She is the reason we huddled, as love permeated through the veins of our brotherhood and sisterhood. We timed it so that as the last part of the video showed each of our faces (from oldest to youngest), we came out at those exact moments, in that order. When we came out, we saw our mom and Emi in an emotional state, but when the realization came that we were in actuality there, I don't think I ever saw my mom cry harder in her life. I was already crying before I entered the gym so the tears poured out even more when I saw my mom. After hugging and hugging again, we all felt like we were in a dream. It just felt so surreal to be with our mom in person, celebrating such a big event!
When the celebration was over, we went home (it was late by the time it ended and all of the supplies/decorations were put away). Chris, Zach, and I (I can't remember if anyone else went) went to Hot Z and got pizza. Man, is their pizza delicious!!! Living in UT, we always miss the true Italian taste of pizza from PA. We got pizza and spent those few remaining hours with mom. We watched her video again and just felt so close to her. We ended up going to bed at I don't even know what time and had to wake up super early in the morning to catch our flight back to UT. It was so hard to leave that fast- we had JUST gotten there, or so it felt. I wanted to spend the next week or more with her, but we had to get back to life. That short weekend felt so magical- no sooner were we there than we had to leave it all behind.
Many years ago, my siblings and I sang a song in church called, "Where is Heaven?" In it, the chorus says, "Where is Heaven? Is it very far? I would like to know if it's beyond the brightest star. I've a feeling that it's not that far. When you're with the ones you love, it's right where you are." How grateful I am to have experienced my Heaven on earth with the people I love more than life itself on that October day.
For
some reason, I can't get the video that was played at her party to
upload on this blog. For now, I'll share the link and if I can figure
out how to, I'll embed it in this post.
I love you, Mom.
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