This Saturday we had a holiday party at our apartment. We had food, drinks, cookies, music, stimulating discourse and even games though we didn’t get a chance to play any this time. We were way too engaged in conversation. It was so nice. I had to let go of a lot my control issues over how I wanted things to appear in the pre-planning phase and what I wanted to make available that perhaps I couldn’t. I had to leave some things up to my husband and resist being critical of some  of his choices. Oh man, thank goodness for therapy. LOL!

But all in all it was wonderful! I was inspired to have this small party of about seven (one cousin had the flu and couldn’t make it so we were six) because of all the Holiday family gatherings on my husbands’ family side. I love them. I always have. I always look forward to being around the matriarchal holiday hearth, the food, conversation, laughter, children. So this was kind of an experiment in giving back. I definitely want to do it again soon and more often. I like being a host to people I really like. It feels good. And it feels even better to have help doing it, or rather allow someone to help and not stress myself out over trying to make things “perfect.”

But the real pre-Holiday party miracle is this:

I had no urge, not the entire time, not once, to take a picture of any of the party goings on. Not the food, not the guests, not the set up, not my sister in law loving up our cat, nothing. I was too engaged in the conversation, in cooking, in getting the door, hanging up coats, pouring drinks and what have you. There was no documentation of this party except in the collective memory of my guests. That’s kind of phenomenal, especially for a photo report fanatic like me. I guess I was way more present than I expected to be. People together, actually putting down their cell phones, breaking bread and enjoying stimulating discourse, in our apartment no less. Hmm! I’m a homebody who usually likes to be cozied up in my apartment during the late evening hours alone or with my boo but, this could become a thing.

However, I can’t promise I won’t always keep the camera away. This may have just been a freak occurrence.

LOL!!