People have asked me a lot if this has been hard for me, since my cousin and his wife are young and I guess I'm a bit of a spinster, by Mormon standards. People looking at me sadly is my favorite.
Honestly, it really hasn't bothered me at all. I love my cousin and his wife a lot and I've just been genuinely happy for them. They're a great couple and the fact that they found each other gives me hope that I can find someone well suited for me.
But I did find that their Michigan reception was slightly harder for me, emotionally, than their DC reception was. I think this was because I knew a lot of people at the Michigan reception. A lot of older adults who I've known my whole life were there, along with friends I haven't seen in years, and having to answer questions about my own life and looking at their worried eyes (which I'm sure I was probably imaging) made me feel a tiny bit more bummed out than I expected I would.
Luckily there were three things there that cheered me up: cupcakes, chickens, and kids. The three C's. The place was over run with all three. The night before, my sister and I made almost three hundred cupcakes so there were more than enough of those. I had nothing to do with making either the children or the chickens though.
My cousins are raising chickens at my aunt and uncle's house, which is where the reception was being held, and the chickens got as much, if not more, attention than the bride and groom. They'll never get so much attention as they did yesterday as they tried to go about their business in their coop. There were two that were completely goofy looking. One was beautiful and would have been a sure thing if entered into a chicken beauty contest.
Some of the guys went into the coop and dared each other to catch one. We all watched and squealed as they almost got them, then laughed and mocked when they ran away in fear as a chicken flapped its wings and ran. Two guys did catch one and gave us all the chance to pet it. Usually my only experience with chickens is when I'm eating them so this was a nice change. I always knew chickens were delicious, but I didn't realize what great personalities they had.
So all in all, it was a good experience. Did I feel old and single? A little. Did I pet a chicken? You bet I did. So I guess in the end, it all balanced out.
6 comments:
Holy cupcakes! I had my two best friends married on the same weekend. Bummed and happy is an interesting combination. Glad there were chickens to tip the scales.
"Did I pet a chicken? You bet I did." HA! Man, those chickens really were pretty amazing. So were the kids!!! And the cupcakes, well, no words can describe how delicious they were. OK, maybe the word "delicious" can describe them... It really was a lot of fun! And I'm with you, I love it when people look at me sadly. It's the best. Thankfully we have the Three C's to help us through! :D
Well, I can sympathize with the sad faces. As of this next week, all in my family except me will be married, and its my little brother clinching the deal. Though they don't think badly of me, there is the inevitable feeling bad for my plight which shows on their faces. Naturally, as you said, looking at it through colored glasses is a factor, and enhances what we may see for real, but anyways. I can empathize.
Not with the chicken petting. I mean, come on, who pets chickens? Are they mans best friend? No. Who are they best friends with? nobody knows.... ;)
"Cupcakes, Chickens, and Kids. The three C's."
HA!
I think my third "C" instead of chickens would have to be chocolate!
I feel the same kind of stuff at family gatherings about not having kids yet. I feel both totally ok about my life/choices and a little sensitive about it. Comments from folks have increased after age 30, and it is what it is. They mean well (I think...), and I have mixed feelings about it myself. More importantly, I seriously want to make cupcakes! I was noting on vacation that Scandinavia seems a bit behind on the cupcake trend. I did see a few dazzling chickens though. :)
I have several friends in Mormondom that recognise that I am single, but do not see that as my primary attribute. I'm always comfortable around them and their families, and if they are married, I'm friends with their spouse too. It's nice to have conversations that don't revolve around trying to "fix" me.
Next time someone else at church asks me about my social life, I'm going to tell them that I just met a vivacious chicken.
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