I often forget how joyous it can be being with my family when we’re all in peaceful mode. Or maybe I let myself forget how much fun I can have when I’m getting along with everyone, and they’re all pretending to get along as well.
And, truthfully, that’s a cynical way to look at things. My family was on its best behavior. We were all looking pretty, all in a good mood, and all having fun. It was great.
I danced until I thought about taking my shoes off. I’ve done that before, most notably in my sisters’ weddings. But I refrained in this case; I showed some restraint.What I did do was nag my niece into dancing quite a bit more than she had wanted. Which, trust me, meant that she didn’t want to dance at all. We keep telling her that she’s going to have to get into the habit of dancing, since she’s having her quinceañera in a few months. She agrees and then doesn’t dance at all. In this case I gave her little choice. I kept pulling her out onto the dance floor. Her mother was giving her “dance lessons” amongst the tables while everyone else was on the dance floor (and everyone else had left). It was loads of fun.
It was great. After the year we’ve had… the years we’ve had lately, this was a wonderful family event. And the fact that was just barely family didn’t matter at all.
