My first surprise of the day was the crowds. When my daughter and I were invited to a Gem and Jewelry show, I envisioned a small setup you could walk through in less than an hour. I should have paid more attention. It was held in the main part of the Houston Convention Center, and apparently we were late to the game for this phenomenon.
If you’ve ever attended any large trade show at a major city’s convention center, you will have some sense of what appeared before us as we walked through the doors into the main space. And remember, this is a gem and jewelry show. To say that the place sparkled would not be an exaggeration. We weren’t sure where to start. But then, off to the right, something caught our eye.
It was almost like a small corral. A fenced-off area inside the main room. At the entrance was a small gate, and several tables sat at the front. But the back seemed to be just a massive pile of rocks. All shapes and sizes, but basically a pile of brownish, rather dirty-looking rocks.
A small sign read $5.00.
Were they selling the rocks? Why would anyone pay $5.00 for an ordinary rock? It seemed that many would, as a line was already forming.
Our curiosity was piqued, and so off we went to that corner of the grand ballroom filled everywhere else with gems and jewelry.
As we neared the front of the line, we could hear the person at the gate giving instructions. For $5.00, you could choose a rock from the pile. Any rock. Some were quite large, others much smaller. But they were all $5.00. I soon learned you weren’t paying for the rock. You were paying for a roll of the dice for what was inside.
I handed over $10 so that we could each choose a rock.
Then the real surprise of the day happened. We took our rocks up to one of the tables where chisels and hammers awaited us. We cracked mine open first. It was just a rock. An ordinary rock.
Then we turned to my daughter’s, and when hers cracked open, the delight on her face was something I have never forgotten. The inside of her rock was beautiful. Incredibly beautiful. An exquisite amethyst was waiting for her inside.
Our first experience with geodes. What a wonder they are.
That revelation was over 25 years ago, and yet it remains a vibrant memory for both of us. In that moment, amethyst became her forever favorite gem. And since both my Mom’s birthday and hers were in February, that worked out well for future gift-giving!
Often, their gifts were jewelry, especially for my Mom. But I also took delight in helping my daughter create a collection of natural amethyst and other forms of quartz from geodes. As she looks out her kitchen window today in Alaska, she looks through the prism of those gems toward the mountains in her backyard.
Perhaps this memory surfaced after all of these years because over the past few weeks, surprises have been on my mind. Why sometimes we fear them, why sometimes we welcome them, and how what lives inside of them can bring us closer to the miraculous than any of our well-laid plans.
Think of all the times that people have walked by those rocks, never knowing what was living inside, just waiting for someone to care enough to look.
I’m beginning to think that the best moments of life are found when we least expect them.
What about you? When was the last time you were surprised?
Are you ready for your next surprise? It is closer than you might think.
