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Being an Uncle

 A great treat of marriage is "inheriting" nieces; I think, at heart, I'm a woman in her early twenties, and now I can live my truth.


My niece sends a text: "People speculate that the new Taylor Swift album was actually supposed to happen during Covid. Lover was going to be Daylight, and Midnights would be the obvious follow-up."

I have thoughts, immediately: "Midnight has been a theme of Taylor's for so long. I wake in the night...I pace like a ghost....Of course, there's midnight.....You come and pick me up....no headlights...."

I restrain myself; I do not send the follow-up in my head: "Phone lights up my nightstand, in the black.....Come here. You can meet me in the back...."

My niece and I have spent hours on "Sweet Home Alabama," "Pretty Woman," "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Love Actually," "Country Strong." (Both of us think "Country Strong" is a weirdly fabulous movie.)

It's interesting to me how a friendship works. Before marrying, I'm not sure I gave much thought to Sandra Bullock. But, through my niece, I've learned there is a part of me that really, really needs to see "The Lost City" (at least on a small screen). And my niece, who once had little time for Ms. Swift, now has strong opinions on the casting of Dylan O'Brien in the film for All Too Well: Taylor's Version.

I understand that I'm a lucky guy.
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