Unexpected delights

All creative people want to do the unexpected.

Hedy Lamarr

Don't you just love it when someone goes to the trouble to do something marvelously unexpected just for you? Often the doers of these deeds think they've done nothing grand, yet they have no idea how much their thoughtful action impacts the mood of the recipient. I'm convinced that the more attention I pay to these event in my life, the more they seem to show up.

This past weekend, I married Jaime and Pat at a beautifully intimate wedding ceremony at the Little Nell in Aspen. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the best man slipped me an envelope with a generous tip, which I of course appreciated. That wasn't the best part, however. As I was leaving, I was handed a box by the coordinator and I was told it was yet another gift from the bride and groom. The box was a fairly good size--perhaps 12 " square by 6' deep and I admit I was both puzzled and intrigued. With all the finesse and decorum I could muster, I offered a congratulatory good-bye to the bride and groom, who were busy with photographs, walked sedately to my vehicle, closed the door, and looking around like a child guilty of opening presents before Christmas, eagerly tore into my treasure. And what a treasure! Hailing from Minnesota and working form the 3M Company, Jaime and Patrick had filled this box with cornucopia of 3M products. It was like Christmas! I've never been so excited over Post-its, sponges, magic erasers, or adhesive products in my life! I took the box back to our hotel, where Jeremy and I gleefully sifted through it's contents over and over, each time coming up with a new product to exclaim over and talk about how we'd use it. Jaime and Patrick probably had no idea of the delight his unexpected treasure brought to me. And how kind of them to take the time when I'm sure they had many other things on their minds.

And then, just today, I received a wonderful email from Erynn and Levi, wishing me a happy holiday. I will be performing their ceremony at the Vineyard Chapel next August. I had the pleasure of meeting with the two of them this past August and we won't begin working on their ceremony in earnest until late Spring. The fact that they took a moment from their busy holiday/wedding planning-filled lives to send me good cheer filled my day with warmth and delight.

Both of these couples have inspired me to remember how significant "small" actions can be. I'm thinking of making my New Year's resolution "Give Unexpected Delights". I never lose the 10 lbs. anyway and this might be something I can actually stick to!