One Good Place

Family Drama That May Ensue
John used this line in a voice message to me a few weeks ago and I couldn't help but laugh. On the one hand I hadn't known that I spoke too soon about the 'rents being completely cool with his coming out (as cool as parents can be that is) but on the other hand, I've had a lot of faith in my family lately that maybe we've all become a tad wiser and calmer about things and "drama" is a thing of the past.

The so called drama involved John wanting to bring his new beau to Christmas and for various reasons, my parents were a little uncertain about it. They had valid points, John had valid points...anyway, there was a week's worth of phone calls, emails, and feeling torn before the 'rents were like - It's fine. And they meant it. It really wasn't worth getting worked up over.

I spent some time being counsel to Dad and my sister when they just needed to talk...and reminding everyone that all of us are going through some adjustments and since many conversations are filtered through John, we hear what he wants to communicate and what we want to hear...in our emotional sensitive states.

Of course, all this time I'm telling everyone that it's all going to be fine because in all honesty, I really believed it would be. And I was right. I immediately loved David and couldn't get over that he got us all gifts?! I mean, he was at our party and we all wanted to make sure he felt included and had gifts to open and felt part of the family, but none of us expected a thing! But the boy is adorable and so sweet and so stinkin creative. At one point I looked down and saw these amazingly wrapped gifts and so thought a swanky boutique had done them up only to find out that David did them all?! Normally I take the creative gift wrap award and I was SPANKED. I totally teased him.

But it was great. And getting to know him a bit...there was something so sweet about the whole holiday. Like this is how it's supposed to be. John was happy. David was happy. My parents were happy.

I wasn't in the "holiday spirit" at all this entire month. Normally I'm all over it with decorations and cards and whatever. But I don't know...I couldn't get into it at all. Maybe it was American Pie or the secular gift commercials and news bits or the slit your wrists Christmas tunes overplayed on our radio stations. Or our bathroom issues. Or all of the above. I had fun with the gift giving, but overall, I was like whatever. But between winning the pot at Vince's grandmom's house and getting the pot gift (this crazy life size snow globe that lights up and sings) and feeling like his mom was with us in that moment...to hearing about 3 year old Sheamus opening everyone's gifts and knowing my Pop Pop would have laughed so hard watching the entire thing play out...to embracing David as part of our family...

Maybe it took the whole month, chocked full of crap and unimportant stuff, to get me to this one good place.