This weekend I went to a bridal shower. Now, I hope I won’t be hurting anyone’s feelings when I say I normally hate these things because all those who know me should know traditional events, such as this particular societal ritual, are not normally my cup of tea.

That said, I went to a shower for one of my closest friends this weekend and I admit, I had a wonderful time. So this got me thinking… why was this one any different from the others I’ve been to? (And granted I haven’t really been to that many because many of those who are in my social circle are a lot like me and not to mention, my relatives live in another state…)

But then it dawned on me, it was because we were able to actually be ourselves, our true selves, and be there to celebrate the bride, whom we all know and love, and have a good time. There wasn’t any of that typical PC crap. We could actually say what we felt and celebrate the girl we love without having to be fake. Everyone there seemed to truly want to be there and it was just a good time all around.

Yes, the bride is a dear friend of mine but it was the honesty, the acceptance, the love, the warmth, the family, the celebration and the respect that made this day fun. So many times, these societal traditions tend to be a pain for all those involved, tend to be loaded with gossip and bullshit, tend to be more stressful than not and tend to be something done out of obligation rather than desire. But I didn’t feel that way this time and it seemed all those who attended didn’t either.

Now that is a true celebration.