With the holiday season comes all those warm fuzzy feelings that often lead to the more single of us to wish Santa would bring us someone with whom we can share a series of eggnog-soaked activities. I can’t lie (obviously since I’ve over-confessed much to you fine people for the past two years), I’ve had my “All I want for Christmas is you, whoever you may be, because I have only a very generic idea of you in my mind” moments. I get doubly nailed with single awareness events given the fact that my birthday is this month as well. Which means I’m just one year closer to throwing myself a wedding-themed birthday party. (Not really. That’s just frightening.)
But I still adore this time of year with every tinsel of my being. And I can continue to embrace it whether unattached or in a relationship that lies in the balance just one thoughtless gift away from tipping in the wrong direction. The fact is being unattached this time of year does allow me to spend every moment of Advent the way I so choose. After all being in a relationship means splitting the holidays between two sets of families, companies, friends, etc. So, I get to selfishly go to Christmas parties where I’m not forced to make conversation with someone else’s gawky coworkers or prove myself to a volatile room full of potential in-laws.
But even if I experienced the crippling loneliness that is apparently suppose to overcome me this time of year, I don’t think I would take this route to remedy the problem. I understand (or hope) that there is humor intended in his proposal. But it’s still a li’l skeevey. Especially considering the fact that he is clearly playing on the insecurities of women who look for men on Craig’s List (she’s sexy, you know it’s true because she said it three times in the first two sentences). Ok, I shouldn’t judge. It’s online dating, the same as the sites I’ve tried, I suppose. But with a more abbreviated process and absolutely no security measures in place. (And fewer options ostensibly as every last one of the girls is either curvy or 120 lbs.)
Really I have no main theme (as illustrated by the complete lack of continuity) for this post other than the fact that it’s the Christmas season and I’m supposed to feel terribly alone and yet somehow I don’t this year. I guess I’m just railing against the expectation that I am required to loathe all things merry and bright because I’m single. The number of articles and Christmas specials that suggest my icy single heart must be so depressed this time of year (the Grinch being president of the lonely hearts club, of course) greatly outnumber any that suggest that this season means more than something singletons have to get through.
I’m not even sure why it has to be about being coupley. There’s Valentine’s for that. Sure it’s about family and looooove, but believe it or not, predictable media, single people have families too. We also have friends to love and share special Christmas moments with. So there! We’re not going to get down about our missing sleigh rider partners just because you (and sorta last-year me) say we should. We will do more than persevere. We will thrive and remember that the reason for the season (yeah I went with the Christian cliché) was single too. Heck yeah! And, as an added bonus, He loves us more than any husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend or pet cat ever could.
Personally, I think remembering that could serve me well no matter what time of year it is. The understanding that no real validation will come from anything outside of Him makes finding someone re-enact creepy Christmas carols* with seem much less important.
*This is actually one of my favorite Christmas songs even if it is a bit date rapey