What’s the Point of the Half-hearted Invitation?
It’s the festive season. There’s joy and cheer everywhere. It’s not the festival that’s being celebrated as much as it becomes about gatherings. Friends and families coming together to celebrate, that is what the festivals are about, right? Right?
Nope. We were taught that is what the festivals are about especially from children’s books and family movies. We were told that it is family above everything else. That they are the ones who support you and will cheer you on, and can’t wait to see you and spend time with you.
But the reality is far from this. An invitation for any gathering is a prize for being popular. It is a form of validation that you matter to them enough to actually invite you.
The invitation is addressed to the family. But guess what? Everyone you are staying with is not regarded as such. There are politics involved, lack of communication, and oh yes, the never-ending popularity contest.
It’s almost as if in the adult world, festivals pushes our mentality back into high school drama where being popular is what matters above everything else, especially academic scores.
Then why subscribe to streaming services when you have your very own family drama unfolding before you? You have the grumpy grandparent. The jealous aunt. The nagging sister-in-law, the bratty kid, the moody teenager, the guy who doesn’t have it together, and the sullen family member who came to visit out of obligation.
You have your characters and if you look closely, you will find those traits in your family members as well.
Since we are ingrained with thoughts about togetherness and human connections, against your better judgement you invite your “family members” because you know you have to and you think you will have more fun.
Wrong!
You invited your brother and his family. But the brother doesn’t consider his wife’s sister as family so she doesn’t get to come along.
The elders are invited to bestow blessings, right? Nope. Instead, they criticize your every life decision, starting with your clothes, to your house and then your career.
The kids are supposed to be cute and provide laughter and entertainment? No, again. They will tip over your expensive figurines, break at least one gadget and hate every food you serve to them.
But the best drama comes from the sister-in-laws who constantly want to upstage each other. They either manage to successfully uninvite the other or if they are present, throw constant taunts and ridicule so that no one wants to engage with them at all or get involved.
And here you are, the host, the one who lives under the delusion that you are bringing the family together. The one who believes in miracles and fairies and all things magical. Who thought that you can get the family closer and they will put you on a pedestal for it.
Instead, your house is not filled with festive cheer but incessant bickering and crying, or a shouting match. No one ate the food you worked so hard to cook. Your furniture is moved all around, and someone just spilled coffee on your new and expensive outfit.
Happy whatever you are celebrating!
So…what is the point of the half-hearted invite? Why not just invite the people you actually like? Why not make excuses to the ones you know who will be chaotic and ruin your peace? Why not choose to celebrate alone rather than perform a family obligation?
Comments
Post a Comment