Surprise Ball

Okay guys....this is my first "blog" EVER! So take it easy on me pleaseeeee. :-)

As far back as I can remember my grandmother used to make me a "surprise ball" for my birthday parties. It was nothing more than just that. A large round ball that held surprise after surprise the more you unravelled it. She would spend hours every night the week or two leading up to my birthday party, slowly wrapping and forming, with such expertise and care, that colorful paper ball.

Using all different colors of crate paper, (how she never even had one single tear in an section of that delicate paper it I'll never know) she would slowly start rolling, every so often, taping a small "surprise", about every twelve inches or so. Never anything extraordinary, at least not to an adult, but something she knew myself and my friends would just fawn over. A half dollar, a beautiful "princess" ring, or merely a piece of candy.

It didn't really matter what it was you happened to uncover when it was your turn, you were ecstatic!
I can still picture all of us sitting on the couch watching each other with intense anticipation, waiting, hoping what we would uncover would be as good as what the others had just found. "It's my turn, you're taking too long!" Someone would yell. We would all start giggling and laughing when it just made the person holding "our" treasure take even longer.

I remember seeing the joy in my grandmother's face every time she would sit back and watch. I know now that the hours she spent preparing that ball were nothing compared to the joy she got from watching all of us.

I can also remember the hurt in her face when I scolded her for bringing "that ball" to my 12th birthday party.

"Grandma, what are you doing! I'm too old for that stupid ball!"

It still almost brings me to tears to think about how I must have hurt her that day. Running off to the living room, hoping none of my friends had arrived yet and leaving her standing there holding in her hand not just that "surprise ball", but also her heart.

It's been almost 17 years since that day, but it still brings me to tears when I think about. How many times I wish I could have the kind of joy that colorful, paper ball used to bring me. When I had that ball, there was nothing better in the world. Knowing the kind of joy it brought my grandmother to be able to make it...........

I think I owe my grandma an apology.