Too much of a good thing

O.k.--I want to start off by saying I love my family, of course I do! They are smart, funny, kind, generous and caring people. Over the holidays we have a lot of fun and nice family traditions. We decorate and hang stockings, we bake Christmas cookie, someone lights a fire in the fireplace and we sit around and eat (too much) and drink (too much). We have intense, marathon games of trivial pursuit or sometimes Charades. We talk and laugh (and argue) and then laugh (and argue) some more. So that being said, over the holidays we have A LOT of family time and by the time Christmas is over sometimes I just want a little time to myself. Is that so selfish? (actually that might be pretty close to the definition of selfish...but anyway). Recently, when my grandmother told me my aunt and uncle were having (another) party I was dreading a night of the same small talk we had on Christmas and Christmas Eve and again on New Years day. And before I knew it I told my family I wouldn't be able to go to the party because I had to work. Convenient excuse, huh? I didn't have to work. I went to go see a movie instead. It was nice to sneak off for a few hours and sit in a dark movie theater with a bag of popcorn and a huge, overpriced soda. So while I love my family and I love being able to be with them to celebrate the holidays together, it is nice to have things getting back to normal after all the of the holidays! And so while I do feel guilty for lying and sneaking off to the movies I have to say it was a relaxing few hours. I guess just like having too much egg nog or too many Christmas cookies, maybe family time can be a little too much of a good thing.