All Else Confusion

On Saturday, I went to visit my friends, Mr. and Mrs. Tags and their 5 children. Poor Mr. Tags was suffering from the flu. He was wrapped in blankets on the couch and the slightest noise bothered him. I hope he's feeling better! Baby Tags was fussy. T. Tags wouldn't eat her dinner sitting at the table and kept getting up to wander around. T. Tags and D. Tags kept fooling around instead of putting on their pajamas, causing a lot of noise, which was hard on Mr. Tags. And, Mr. Tags made me watch the Yankees game (and they weren't playing the Red Sox either).

I'm sure all you married folks with children will identify with a fairly normal day in family life.

I enjoyed my visit with Mr. and Mrs. Tags very much and appreciated that they didn't"sanitize" things for me. Sometimes my friends seem to feel that they need to "clean up", apologizing for dragging me into their little "messes" of family life. They don't believe me when I tell them that I don't mind. In fact, as a single person, I appreciate the time I can spend as part of my friends' families (messes and all). It's all too easy for me to get wrapped up in the concerns of my day to day and become somewhat self-absorbed, forgetting that life is about self gift. Does it sound funny to say that I'm sometimes a little envious of my friends for the sacrifice (gift of self in JP terms) that is inherent in their vocation?

If you are married with a family and have single friends, don't be hesitant in inviting them to join you, even when you're not at your "best". Take it from one single girl - our lives are enriched by your generosity.

(For some good reflections on self sacrifice in married life see Sirach 40:20 and Dom Bettinelli - they're both great, so I just had to work them in!)