Interesting that when I started typing in the post title, the little wizard that suggests things suggested the last time I started a post with "survive" which happened to be Christmas/New Years... interesting, huh?
I spent a couple of hours on the phone this week with my closest friend as she gnashed her teeth over her latest clash with her crazymaker mom. Holidays are so hard because it's when the harsh reality of a screwy family is thrown up in such sharp contrast with what we wish they would be, one of those Norman Rockwell/Hallmark Card stereotypes...
Anyway, we survived dinner with the Outlaws. It was, fine, whatever. But I couldn't overcome my impulse to repeatedly yawn after dinner. It was 830 and I was exhausted by the stress of trying to think of something, anything safe to talk about. Hilariously in a twisted way, there were 4 desserts there. I coped by having a sliver of everything, but the one of my bundt cake was bigger because of course, it was the best dessert there!!!
But jeez, what is it about Fuzz's family and ham? They aren't poor, but they buy the wierdest mystery meats known to man. I could swear this stuff was Spam with a rind. Fried bologna would have tasted better. Seriously, this stuff had the consistency of the kitchen sponge, smoked and cured.
After we had stayed a polite amount of time we fled gracefully and were on our way home when we went by the home of my friend, she with the insane-making mom. They just happened to be on the front porch, bidding goodbye to some other friends. We pulled in, they put on the coffee, and we hashed out the problems of the world, our families, the kid's school, stuff. After we left, Fuzz said, "You know, I could sit in their kitchen all night." I know. Me too.
Although family is family and they'll always be ours, like them or not, different but just as important are those families we create. They may be less permanent, or not. After all, my parents are dead, but I've been friends with this woman for over 25 years and our friendship has just deepened, widening to include partners and a child.
1 comment:
I really liked your post about the families we create being just as important as the families we are born into. The nice thing about families you create is that you get to pick the members.
I would love for you to see the show in Ottawa. It will be at the Studio Leonard-Beaulne on Sunday June 18, 19, 20,21, 24 and 25.
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