May 2026

Sometimes the best celebrations begin before anyone realizes there is something to celebrate.

The evening before Mom and Dad's 65th wedding anniversary, Ravi and Jo opened their home for what was presented as a small family gathering—a chance to welcome everyone who had come from near and far, spend some time with Mom, and celebrate Mother's Day together.

At least, that was the story.

With family arriving from Australia, California, Colorado, Florida and elsewhere, we needed a good reason for everyone to suddenly be together without giving away what was really waiting for Mom and Dad the following day. A Mother's Day gathering provided the perfect cover.

Most of the evening's feast came from a Sri Lankan restaurant, while Ravi added a few homemade bites of his own to accompany the drinks. And there were certainly plenty of those. As the evening carried on, conversations grew louder, glasses kept being filled, old connections were renewed, and new memories quietly took shape.

Before long, the gathering turned musical, with our visitors serenading Mom in celebration of Mother's Day. It was one of those wonderfully unplanned moments—family gathered around, singing, laughing, and simply enjoying being together again.

Ruky and I slipped away before the evening was over. The next morning would come early, and we needed to be at the anniversary venue to help with the final preparations for the surprise everyone had worked so hard to protect.

The others weren't quite as concerned about an early bedtime. The party carried on well into the wee hours.

Looking back, Ravi and Jo's gathering was more than just a clever cover story. It gave everyone who had travelled so far a chance to reconnect before the big celebration—to share a meal, raise a glass, laugh together, and settle back into that familiar feeling of family.

Mom and Dad thought everyone had come to celebrate Mother's Day. For one more night, we managed to keep the real reason a secret.