Surprise!😍😍😍

In our family, whenever someone has a birthday or is about to celebrate one, the siblings immediately agree to organise a surprise—especially if the birthday person is far away. So now, it happens that our eldest sister is celebrating her birthday, but currently, she’s in Canada. In order to surprise her, what we have arranged is a video greeting complete with a dance performance.

Even though some of us don’t particularly enjoy dancing, nonetheless, because we really want to surprise our sister who is in Canada, we all decided to dance together anyway—hahaha. It’s something we always do: to make sure she feels our presence even though she is far away.

When we found out that her birthday was coming up, we quickly gathered—virtually and physically—the siblings here. We brainstormed ideas: Should we just record a simple “Happy Birthday” message, or should we elevate it? We decided that simple wasn’t going to be enough; we wanted something memorable, something she’d feel deeply and say, “Wow, my siblings went all out for me even across the miles.”
So we selected a song, choreographed some dance steps (yes, we actually choreographed—even though dancing isn’t everyone’s favourite activity), and decided on who would take on which part. Some of us volunteered enthusiastically; others were reluctant but agreed anyway. After all, this was for our sister—and that made doing something a little outside our comfort zone feel right.

We started by rehearsing. We found a day when we could all gather, arrange a phone or camera, clear a space in the house, and slowly practice the steps a few times. At first it was … amusing. The one who never dances looked awkward, the one with two left feet stumbled a bit, and the shy one kept glancing at others for reassurance. But with each rehearsal, we laughed more, bonded more, and the awkwardness turned into something more meaningful. It became part of the surprise.
We recorded the greeting, then the dance; we made sure to greet her by name, mention how much we miss her. The video ended with a big shout: “Happy Birthday, Ate! We love you so much!” We made sure the dance was visible, the smiles genuine, and the message heartfelt.
Now when we send it to her, we know she’s miles away—she might be looking at her phone or laptop in Canada—but we hope she can feel our presence right there with her. The idea is that even though she is physically separated from us, emotionally we are together in that moment.
This tradition of ours has become something we look forward to—it’s not just the sister’s birthday this time. Each time someone is far away, we plan something surprising, fun, and heartfelt. Because distance doesn’t mean lesser connection; rather, it motivates us to be more creative and more present in spirit.
And here’s what I’d like to share about how this particular surprise works and why it’s so meaningful:

1. The Why: We do this because our eldest sister, even though she’s away, still holds that special place in our lives. She’s the one who looked after us when we were younger, and now she’s chasing her own path abroad. We want to honour her journey, appreciate her, and let her know she hasn’t been forgotten.
2. The How: First we coordinate. We agree on the theme, choose the song, pick the date & time to record. We decide who will lead parts of the dance, who will say which lines in the greeting. Then we rehearse—even if just a little—so that once the camera is running, it feels polished but still natural. Then we record, sometimes doing a few takes until we’re satisfied.
3. The What: The content includes a heartfelt greeting addressing her directly: “Ate, happy birthday!”, “We miss you!”, “Thank you for being our sister”, “We are proud of you”, “May your day be filled with joy and blessings”. Then we segue into the dance performance: upbeat, fun, energetic, something that screams “celebration”. At the end, we close with big smiles, and waving excitedly.
4. The Feeling: Even though she’s far, we hope she feels the laughter, the missteps, the effort behind the dance. She doesn’t just watch a video; she sees the faces she knows, hears the voices she grew up with, and feels the shared history. For us who made the video, it’s not about perfection. It’s about connection, and the authenticity of us going beyond our usual selves to say, “You matter.”
5. The Tradition: Because this has worked so well in the past—her surprise, our bond reaffirmed—we’ve made it part of our family culture. We know that if we ever have siblings scattered across different places, this is a way to keep the family knot tight. There’s joy in the planning, the acting, the dancing—and there’s immense joy when she watches it, laughs, maybe teary-eyed, and sends back her thanks.
6. The Outcome: When our eldest sister receives the video, we imagine her in Canada, maybe pausing her routine, smiling at the screen, hearing our voices, and feeling a surge of home. That handshake across time zones. For us, the reward is not just her happiness; it’s having done something meaningful together, even though we’re apart. And hopefully this brings her something special to remember on her day.

Though some of us don’t typically dance, because we love our sister so much and we want her to feel our presence even though she’s far away in Canada, we all decided to dance together, make a greeting video, and surprise her on her birthday. We do this regularly as part of our family’s way of staying connected across distances—making sure that no matter where we are, when one sibling is away, the others find a way to come together in spirit and show our love.

Thank you Dear Hivers for taking the time to read!❤️❤️❤️