Holidays

So I hope everyone's holidays have been going well. I had a great time down in Florida with my family. Drank some great wine with Dad & Jo and even got a round of golf in with my mom, which was fun (we tied). I will have new pics of Baby Evan to post as soon as my pop emails them. He really is insanely cute. He does this shy little smile when I play with him.

For New Years I'll be up in New York hanging with some of my best friends and the lovely Kathryn and her friends. She's been stressing out. Her friends are all just a little too laid back to get NYE plans in order so it's fallen to her. She's not the logistical superfreak that I am so planning a new years night for 15 people is not her cup of tea. It's amazing how much pressure we put on ourselves to achieve the archetype, isn't it? New Year's eve is always supposed to be super fun and exciting - a thrill a minute. Valentines Day is always supposed to be tender and romantic. Christmas is the hardest. You have family that you don't see all year, but on Christmas everyone is supposed to be smiles and sunshine and family and carols and what not. All this effort to achieve our ideal version of a night almost always ends in cringing frustration or just plain old disappointment.

So why do we do it? Well, I think I do it because the ideal, no matter how unrealistic, is pretty darn awesome. Who doesn't want to sing songs and tell stories by the fire with a family that loves them? Who doesn't want to party like the world is going to end? Who doesn't want to share that moment with their special someone where their love is the only thing in the world that matters? I think the holidays are like gambling. The chances of it turning out right are very low, but we're all so wrapped up in the dream of what it COULD be like, that we keep playing. We roll the dice every holiday and hope that the club will be fun, that we'll be loved, that the turkey won't be dry, and that Santa will bring us all good cheer and tolerance. This year, let's all try to have a good time and just worry about breaking even.