Annal 49: Tale from the Black Ops Baby Shower

I'm a spy, by the way, or so I told my students last year.  Of course, I also informed them I am an elf, that I originally injured my elbow in Vietnam, but then hurt it again during my stint as a firefighter, and that Saint Patrick was born just a few years before me, was my pastor, and that we were tight.  So I will leave it up to you to believe whatever you will! 

I mention being a spy because those are skills which seemed like they were going to become a very integral part to my survival in a small community and small church where everyone gets married shortly after twenty.  I have been to a fair number of wedding showers, lingerie showers, and even bachelorette get-togethers.  I enjoy them; it is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate such a monumental time in a woman's life.  But no matter how happy you are for someone, wedding showers do begin to get a single woman down.  One can only handle smiling and celebrating another woman's marriage for so long.  Especially since one does not get younger, and so the sideways glances abound as grow older and remain single.  This is why I will not get a cat while I am still unmarried... I think that would be the last straw!  I was beginning to think that I would have to turn all wedding showers into covert operations: cut a hole in the ceiling, lower myself down, drop off my present, grab one of the many yummy appetizers, and then pull myself back up, replace the hole in the ceiling, and then go drown out my sorrows with either a BBC drama or some gaming.

I was at a baby shower last night for one of my best friends as she celebrated the birth of her second child and first girl when the realization hit me.  I haven't had to brush up on my spy abilities in a while because I haven't been to a wedding shower in a long time.  Apparently there are officially almost no single women left in this town to get married, and as such, no bridal showers.  Very interesting.

That being said, I think baby showers may become the new thing.  I have noticed that all of my friends are  now growing their families with rather adorable little additions.  This is okay.  My family has fostered since I was in grade three, so we have always had babies and little kids in the family.  Thus, I can tell stories with the best of them, causing most women who don't know me to just assume that I'm a fellow comrade-in-arms.  I realized last night that I am lacking in some areas of knowledge.  While I can tell diaper-changing stories, and talk about puking children or sleepless nights (experienced by my mother, not me), I'm afraid that I have no experience to draw from with regards to birthing, c-sections, pregnancy, and morning sickness beyond that of being a friend or family member present shortly after a birth.  Indeed, when it comes to such topics, I find myself inept to come up with anything.

At least I was not the only single woman there--my sixteen year old sister came with me!

All of that being said, I loved being there last night, and I definitely spent a good deal of the time cuddling the little girl for whom I am a self-proclaimed fairy godmother.  I am so happy that God has blessed my friend with such a precious child, and I know that I feel blessed to know such a gift.  God sure knew what He was doing when he created the treasures He has blessed my friends with!

Such is the life of a Christian single.