Can You Keep a Secret?

Don't get me wrong I don't think the idea of secrets are really a good thing. People should be honest with each other and keeping secrets really affects intimacy... Perhaps I feel this way now because I was raised in a family with secrets, so many secrets that I will probably never even know half of them. My Dad even had a secret about his age when he enlisted in the Navy. You guessed it, he really wasn't old enough...

Some people will argue there are the good kind of secrets, the white lie kind which enable 'surprises.' Yet, what is left unsaid leading up to that surprise may cause some mal feelings. You know like lack of communication for fear of letting the cat out of the bag.  From as far back as my memory allows there have always been secrets about birthdays. So much so one almost expects a surprise and may even be disappointed if one doesn't happen. 

Mother's Day 2014 visit was a surprise even tho' I told them.

Any how with my folks's age I decided to let them know about my impending visits by mentioning during a visit when I will see them again. For example, this past December I told them I would be out Mother's Day weekend but my Dad insisted it should be a surprise during one conversation. Then Mother's Day weekend I said, " I'll be back for Dad's birthday in August." But by the time July rolled around my Mom said, "Don't tell your Dad you're coming." "Oh OK," I said bewildered as if he didn't remember my intentions. But then again, maybe that's the beauty of age... ?
So why am I mentioning this? 

Well, today's my Dad's birthday and I spent last night at my brother Marc's about 10 minutes from my folks's house without  my Dad supposedly knowing I am in town. 

Here's the plan. Brother Marc will take my Dad fishing early ( Of course that's when the fish bite) and when they return, dah dah, I'll be at the house awaiting his return.  SURPRISE.

Happy 89th Birthday Dad and many more! 

May 2014, Mother's Day weekend