Too Tired for Talking

I'm a bit of an introvert. I find social situations draining, even with those I'm closest to. So tonight, after happily spending a good deal of time with my immediate family, I left the gathering and reclused myself into the quietest area of the house I could find. Granted, I have nothing against them. I enjoyed their company, and I'm glad that they continue to enjoy each other's company, even late into the night. I just hope they can forgive me for not having the energy to remain sociable.

Being a family means that we need to make compromises to accommodate each other. We need to respect each others' desires and boundaries, even if we can't always honor them. And perhaps most of all, we need to be patient with each other. I need to be patient with their desire to keep chatting, and they will hopefully be patient with my lack of desire to participate. If we can be patient with each other, respect each other, and do our best to accommodate each other, we can avoid much of the friction that might otherwise erode the cohesion that families are supposed to have.

I love my family, but I also love peace and quiet. I'm usually happy to spend time with my family. But right now, I hope they can forgive me for preferring to go to bed.