Walking round botanical gardens with my elder daughter and son, both 20-somethings. Something we all really enjoy. Winter’s day, dwindling light. We sought out warmth of the orchid room. Suddenly, approached by a photographer. He said a guy will arrive soon to make a surprise marriage proposal; he was there to capture the moment. Could my son pretend to propose to my daughter, so he could practice? They went along with it, laughing. We decided to hang around. Suddenly every couple looked interesting. We pretended to examine the orchids, trying to guess who was going to propose. Did that guy look happy or nervous? Did she seem excited? What about those two? We waited, loitered, hovered… the photographer took another picture, but gave us a silent head-shake…just more practice. No one proposed before sunset. Did the proposer back out? Or was the photographer just having fun?

Relish the unexpected.