This morning I am not feeling so intensely inspired to write about Single Life because last night I went to a dinner party that was rather a Battle of Lepanto Anniversary Party, so there was a lot of drink plus "Don John of Austria is riding off to war."
Actually, it was an unusual weekend, so I am still mentally processing it all. B.A. and I went to a Church of Scotland baby baptism on Sunday morning (a first for me, at least), and so we went to Vigil Mass early Saturday evening. So the weekend was
Saturday evening: Vigil Mass at St M's Catholic Church.
Sunday: 11-12 Church of Scotland service. 12:30-4ish Baptismal lunch with baby, two grandmothers, three other married couples, four children, one young aunt and Markyate Priory (of this combox). 5ish-11 Lepanto dinner with six Singles.
It is perhaps astonishing that B.A. and I spend so little time with other married couples, but I think this is because married couples with children don't have much of a chance to socialize, and when they do, they do primarily with family or old pals with children. My brother and sister-in-law usually socialize--when they have time--with family and old pals with children.
At any rate, I greatly enjoyed the novelty seeing other married couples and their children. The children sat in the middle of the living-room floor surrounded by adults who sprang into action when a wine glass smashed. It was such a good party that we were unsure if we should go to the next party, or if that would be overly greedy. But the second party was on the way home from the first party, so we stood outside the dining -room window making faces and jumping up and down and, when no-one noticed, called the diners up on the mobiles they were naturally too polite to answer at the table.
But it turned out our Single friends wanted us to come, particularly because the host wanted B.A. to help read Chesterton's poem about Lepanto and sing many merry songs in celebration of the Holy Rosary and life in general. So we were very glad we rang them up. Apparently we missed the Homily of the Year, which was our bad luck, but at least our friends had the fun of telling us about it.
3 comments:
I think losing some contact with single friends is part of the price of having children. I have several close friends with kids, and while we try to stay in contact it just doesn't work the way it did when we were all single. Bedtimes change, and even when I can get one of them on the phone, the kids still require just as much attention as conversation with me does. I've found that it's best not to take things personally; my friends are still my friends, and they want to stay in contact, but their job has changed and we just have to accomodate that.
Your weekend sounds lovely!
ladywisdom
I wish I'd been to a Lepanto party! Goodness I wish I had more religious friends around me. I dearly love my friends who are non-religious, but it can be hard. I don't hide my faith, and my friends are interested people who wouldn't mind talking about religion, but it's tiring to have to explain so many concepts and, while I think God (and the Church) is (are) up to every challenge, I don't want to always be the defender in the face of it. Folks asking me questions about the faith I love - but to have a conversation at the level I'd like to about something so precious to me - I think it is usually not possible. It makes me especially grateful for the Christian student association I'm a part of, and also for the good Christian law student friends I made this summer. I hope that when I am wherever I settle down roots I can join some faith-based associations. Right now I'm just so pressed for time with school and work obligations... I haven't even managed to get to a Bible study yet.
My older sister has a passel of children, and I think it's quite proper that that's her focus, so when we talk I just expect to hear a lot about her kids - which is great, actually - they often do funny things, and I want to maintain a relationship despite being 10 hours away by car most of the year.
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, Auntie S!
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