In Praise of Good Girlfriends

I feel strangely guilty about it, now that I know there are people here looking for commiseration, but yesterday was Day 1 of Family Holiday Meals & Mingles, and I had a pretty nice time, all things considered.

The food was good, my sister and her husband expressed their distaste for me only in fairly subtle ways, my niece sought me out to hang out with me, and no one asked me a single question about my love life, which may be because they pity me too much or thought I would burst into tears or perhaps had strict instructions not to handed down by my mother, but I didn't want to talk about my love life with these people anyhow, so I mostly don't care.

But the single most important reason it went well was because my best friend from childhood came over for part of the time, making two singles into a couple of good friends. So I did have that person who could witness and secretly laugh at my family dynamics, and who I feel seen by, and who I can sneak into a corner and talk with for an hour or so instead of making conversation with some neighbor's new husband. A good reminder that sometimes there's more than one way to get my emotional needs met. If only I had any desire to sleep with her...

Today: Family Holiday Meal & Mingle Remix, with twice the people, sans friend and avec nosy and newly-engaged gay son of family friend, who is not likely to be so tactful as folks were yesterday. Then tomorrow is the Family Holiday Meal & Mingle Rewind, involving just me, my aging aunt and my very strange (and estranged) new-agey cousin, whom I haven't seen in years.

I'll post reports as I can but the internet connection is spottier here than I had hoped. Merry and happy to all, and to all a good friend!