Tea & Symphony

Thank god for the symphony.

When I woke up around 9:30 this morning, I thought I was in store for another day spent sprawled on the pink couch, restlessly scrolling through the channel options (200 channels and nothing to watch), and eating soup and oatmeal. Despite feeling pretty good and not wanting to be in recovery mode any longer, I didn't really have any other plans.

So it started out this way: couch, oatmeal, and It Happened One Night. At least there was something decent on for a change. About halfway through the movie, I heard my phone vibrating in the distance of my bedroom and waited to check it until the movie ended. It was my mom. She had tickets for a piano concert series at the Chicago Symphony and would I like to join her?

Yes! An excuse to leave the apartmenet! A chance to get outside and breathe fresh air! And I was in the mood to watch something other than reruns of Laguna Beach. It was exactly what I needed. I was ready in 15 minutes and out the door. After we had a quick bite to eat (I was able to actually have a sandwich!), we went to the performance. I really enjoyed it, but it was a shame that I was so doped up. My eyes kept closing and I was having trouble staying alert. It's been happening all weekend, dozing off in front of the TV or the book I'm reading. Apparently a side effect of the Vicodin I'm on.

But it was still nice to go to the symphony (I can't tell you the last time I was there - probably a field trip in elementary school) and to spend time with my mom. Afterwards, we grabbed coffee and some dessert since she had to kill time before her train left. And, as I rode the bus back to my apartment, I thought about how much I love doing these sorts of things with her.

I'm not a family holiday person. I'm not looking forward to Thursday. And it's not because I don't like my family or don't want to see anyone. It's just that these forced occasions seem exactly that: forced. Do we all want to be there? Or is it a sense of obligation bringing us together? For family time, I much prefer just hanging out with my mom or having some great conversation with her. During these holidays, it's uncomfortable (for a variety of reasons), and I just don't want to be there. I'll need to explore this more later, especially as my least favorite time of year arrives (although from the looks of the store decorations and TV commercials, it's already here).