Wednesday, May 13, 2009

When you host a party and noone comes?

I just had that happen to me. Alot recently actually.

When we moved back here to the Springs, we were warmly welcomed "home" by friends and ward members.
Then Dani got married in December, and because of things beyond my control, we ended up having the reception 2 days after Christmas. Only a handful of people came--I chalked it up to the holidays. My feelings were hurt, but I didn't show it to my family. There are afterall, more than two handfuls of US alone...so we celebrated anyway!
Last month, actually 2 weeks ago, my youngest was baptized. The only people who came were those who had been assigned. Three. Again, my feelings were hurt--not that we'd invited a ton of people, but more than 3 people knew about it and chose not to come. That stung a little, actually, I cried over it later when noone was around. But I called my dearest friend, in Bountiful, who talked me off the ledge, and I put it behind me. Afterall, it was the ordinance of the baptism and my daughter that was most important. So I focused on that.
Then yesterday, I had a Scentsy luncheon.I'm new to this, and would like to build a little business out of it. I made a nice salad bar up and dessert and waited. And waited. I sent out 30 invitations. One person came. An hour later. I'm getting, no, I have a complex now. (On the Plus side, I didn't have to make dinner last night--there was LOTS of salad leftover!)

I sat around and wondered what is wrong with me? Have I offended people that I am unaware of?
Do I smell? Are my kid reckless and smart-aleck when they're not with me?(Well they can be reckless and smart-aleck when they're with me too, so that's entirely possible that I have rotten kids.) Do I have some kind of social condition I am clueless about?? Is my timing all wrong? AM I WEIRD?? Like, seriously, so weird that people talk about me like "she-who-shall-not-be-named" kinda weird?

The thing about this is...I have a problem with my short-term memory. Seriously. I had a cat-scan and MRI a year and a half ago to rule out things like MS...it's more than just forgetting where my keys are...which kinda freaks me out on rough days, but again, I'm like Dorrie, I
just keep swimming".
So, I will forget that people I know don't support me or my family at different events over time.
In a way, it kind of takes the sting of it away. So that's a blessing, I guess. I don't think about this stuff everyday--thank goodness--but I tell you what, I am to the point where I want to keep my head down and my mouth shut kinda thing.

I'm not a snobby person, I think I'm pretty open. But maybe I don't come across that way?? I don't know. At bedtime last night, I asked Mr W what is wrong with me and he did what every loving husband would do...kissed me and said, "Nothing."

P.S. My best two "partners in crime" have been out of town for all of this...we had lunch today and I told them that from now on I will plan my biggest life events around their schedules so I don't feel like such a loser. So this will be my last pity party post. Until the next thing happens.

11 comments:

  1. Oh man, I feel your pain! I totally understand this. I have given up giving parties of this kind because it's so hard to do all that work and then no one shows up! Maybe there was something going on in the community-or church-or school that you didn't know about. I think people get so self involved in their own lives that they forget to stop and socialize. Who Knows? I wish I knew the answer. P.S. My husband just called me and said he is going on a business trip to Denver at the end of June and invted me....are you close by??

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  2. Never feel alone my dear friend...on my sweet 16 pool party...nobody showed. Talk about tragic circumstances. I was devastated and hoenstly I never truly recovered. The last part I really threw was new year's eve two years ago and the house was PACKED. It is the timing of things for people most of the time and I cna't beleive it would be personal...not against you. Myself, with my brash personality sometimes I can see it, but never you. Keep smiling dear friend...If I were in the neighborhood...I would've shown up...or at least called ahead of time to elt you know why I couldn't be there...work, swine flu, the children's prechosen beating time...we mustn't get off schedule...musn't we!?!? Take care and smile. You are loved!!!

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  3. Okay. I was with you on the 2 days before christmas thing. But the baptism? That is just rude!

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  4. Marilyn & Tammy:
    Thanks for your comments! I just walked the Sante Fe trail this morning with Nana...she assures me that I am not weird and said so many kind things I forgot for a moment that she is a "rotten teenager"! lol
    Still, it's good to hear I'm not a total LUZER. lol!

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  5. Ever thought about an on-line scentsy party? I'd swing by for one of those. (I did one on my blog for a friend with Pampered Chef, sold nothing, but wasn't really invested) (also, every other person in my ward is trying to "sell me something." It'd be nice to just be invited over for dinner and not be handed a catalog.)

    I think wards should do more to get people out supporting the kids getting baptized - it should be a monthly ward party celebration pot luck or something. It IS a big deal, that's what ward family ought to be for!

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  6. Marilyn: If you make it to Denver, I will meet you there! We're just South of it by about 40 minutes!

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  7. This happens to me ALL THE TIME too! I even had the same experience at my baptism - which is a whole other irritation story in itself - and I am still smarting over it. I have my next child's baptism coming up, and I find myself having a bad attitude about it. Grr, it shouldn't be like that!
    I've thrown Scentsy parties, Home Interiors parties, At Home America, blah blah blah the list goes on. It's just hurtful to go to all that trouble, and no one (or just a few) show!
    I'd totally come if I lived by ya!

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  8. I fear that we all get too involved in our own lives these days and just don't take time to smell the roses any more...or visit with our friends and neighbors. My DIL and I were just talking about it the other day. It is harder and harder to get people to just take time out and enjoy themselves.

    It's kinda crazy! We all need to take a chill pill and live a little...

    =)

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  9. I wouldn't take it too personally. It seems like people are kind of getting rude about social events. I mean, how hard is it to RSVP? Grrr! Our extended family didn't show up for my daughter's baptism and they won't show for my other daughter's graduation---that hurts, but I've come to live with the fact. Sigh...

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  10. Remember what I wrote yesterday about how we judge ourselves unfairly compared to others?? I figured noone else had experienced this "it's my party and I'll cry if I want to thing"...thanks for telling me otherwise. I feel better. Blogging is a good thing, eh?

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  11. Hi there Momza,
    Don't think about this thing too much, I do understand and feel your pain. I also have thrown a party that ended up only having one attendee, Me! As far as the baptism, I am so sorry, but the Caboose had the most important people there, her family! I am grateful to have gotten to know you and look forward to meeting you one day. 'Mr Darcy' and I come to the Springs quite frequently and I would love to look you up and have a visit.
    Roxanne

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