Tonic for the soul

Last night the Gorgon family packed up and went to a party. I wasn't necessarily looking forward to it, although it was hosted by a man I dearly love and his wife (who I like but do not yet know well). The Kraken was overtired, the Minotaur had been off in his own world all day, and I am still not loving the large crowds of people, some of whom would almost certainly not know about the loss of the twins. The host's wife is hipster royalty of a sort in the town where I went to school, so I feared I would be surrounded by the cool, the childless, the 'still playing in a band and tending bar'. But, the host, an old friend from college who we will call Cochise Man of War here, for reasons that will mean nothing to you but are endlessly hilarious to me, had told me in no uncertain terms that I was dead meat if I did not go. So off we went.

We were the first to arrive - always awkward, but hey, when you've got kids you tend to show up at events a little early. There was the usual awkward standing around, in the way while they tried to get ready for the party. Then the cat walked through the room, and I was reminded that the Kraken had never met this cat, who is the 16 year old mother of my own girlcat. Pretty spry old girl, that cat. She was born on Steel Magnolia's legs in the wee hours of the morning in our rattrap college house, despite the lovely basket made up for her mother in the next room. And for the Kraken, the arrival of the cat made the night a success. The simple things.

Within 20 minutes, 10 other couples had arrived, 8 of them with children ranging 1-7 years old. And I suddenly realized.....I'm not the old married lady with the kid. We ALL ARE. The bartender who served me margaritas every weekend of my life for nigh unto ten years was there, with her husband and son. A man who was once my tenant when I worked in real estate ("Dear Mr. Tenant, We must once again ask you not to play ultimate frisbee in the parking lot. Also, please do not put up tiki torches around the neighborhood and leave them lit all night") was there with his wife, and their 2 year old daughter, who had also talked her parents into letting her wear dress up clothes to the party. The Kraken and this little girl played the night away together.

And, arriving on a giant black Harley, was one third of the Cochise/Freakboy/Baldie triumvirate of idiots who were my best. male. friends in college, or, well, ever. Baldie is off in South Carolina now taking care of the family business, after a long stint being fetish boy in California. But the other two were there, and we huddled up under the trees with the Kraken and the Minotaur and ignored the rest of the party. We talked trash about old enemies, and a little about old friends, and laughed until my rib cage hurt.

And I was among friends. Who knew me as well as it is possible for human beings to know you, from stupid teenager and on. And I felt suddenly grounded in myself and at home in my own skin for the first time in a while. And for a little while, I forgot. What a gift.