Social Flexibility

Odd thing to be thankful for? Nahhh. Here's the thing: I went to a Christmas party with my Stepmom tonight. It was with her HOUR office and, though I know most of the ladies who work there, we're not especially close. And I admit, I was in a fairly foul mood upon leaving the house. I didn't feel pretty, I was down, and I sure as heck wasn't in the mood to hang out with a bunch of adults.

But ohhhh, silly me. I had a wonderful time. To start, the food was wonderful. And although I was the only person my age there, I was able to wander around the lovely house and chat with many of the adults, whether they were thirty-somethings with their 3 and 5 year old kids, or with the fiftie-somethings, watching the kids and grandkids in happy distance. The people were all lovely and I quite enjoyed simply watching them interract.

I also got a rather desperate phone call from a friend that I needed to take. Although I was worried about excusing myself from conversation and acting rudely, I knew I needed to get back to her. Once I called her back, I sat in the backyard under a little roofed area and talked with her til she had calmed down and we had set up a time to hang out. All the while, I got to listen to the rain as it varied between soft and hard droplets.

The phone call may have lasted 45 minutes and taken a very different mindset, but I was happy to have been able to help and then go right back into the party and talk to a father about his 2 year old who was about to crash and burn for the day. (The kid was adorable, by the way. His hair was determinedly unruly and his dad had thus nicknamed him the Rooster. I liked it :) )

So tonight, I'm thankful for the ability to be flexible, even when I enter a situation with a bad outlook. I sometimes forget how much peace this flexibility gives me.