Happy holidays

GUYS. I interacted with people outside of my immediate household family today. Strange how much that feels like a confession, but we were within the bounds of Utah's current COVID recommendations, and I was unwilling to wait even one more week to try having Sunday dinner.

(As a side note, I'm not sure after looking at recent numbers that Utah's current  recommendations are sound? But I know that public health/economy balance is tough. Might have thoughts on this later in the week.)

I took just one very mediocre picture (ugh), but I think that's cuz I was just sucked into the familial magic of it all. More than anything else about quarantine, I have missed in-person family interactions. My closest friendships are with my sisters. I still follow my mom around the house and talk her ear off when I'm visiting. And my love for Joe's family has grown so much over the years. I felt the same anxious need to see them all today as well.

We plan on future Sundays to alternate seeing our two sides of the family, but today, due to the timing of people in and out of town, we ended up visiting both sides. Coming from the dearth of social interaction that is quarantine, it felt like the freaking holidays. We drove home after an afternoon spent out and about both exhilarated and exhausted, filled to the brim and maybe a little overwhelmed. I will certainly need to readjust to leaving the house. (How strange!)

I read a very interesting article a few months ago that had me questioning the strength of the nuclear family as we tend to imagine it (Mom + Dad + kids living together but separate from all other sets of Mom + Dad + kids). I'm thinking about it (again) tonight as I realize how much strength I felt today from the interactions with a wider family sphere. Joseph and Brooks and I make a pretty good team, and we have had happy quarantine times together on the whole. But to heck with that if we can just have our whole happy family back together again. There is strength in numbers, particularly for families. And if you don't believe me (why wouldn't you?), go check out that article. For real.

So happy holidays to us and to anyone else reuniting with family soon! Hopefully the viral spread as we rejoin will remain contained. I don't know if I can trust myself to recommit to avoiding family for another two months.....