'Tis the season.

The holiday season is upon us.

I love the holidays for many reasons. There is enough sparkle and glitter in the decorations to blind a drag queen. You are never too far away from cookies, candies, and other various baked goods (I'm a sucker for the various holiday themed funfetti products). There is vacation time to lay around and eat the aforementioned cookies and watch the ubiquitous holiday specials (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and A Charlie Brown Christmas are staples at my house, as well as newer holiday movies like The Muppet Christmas Carol and Elf).

The holidays also means lots of time for family and friends. Which inevitably turns into many familial queries into my love life.

There are many occasions through the year when my relationship status is a topic of conversation. Family get-togethers. My cousin's weddings. My neighbor's weddings. Random strangers' weddings. I have caught many a bouquet and had many cackling family members inform me that I'm next or that my time is coming.

But the holidays are a special "what, you still don't have a boyfriend!?" time. For one, it's guaranteed that I'll be talking to my grandparents on the phone. Or yelling at them over the phone, depending on the state of their hearing that day. And, in the case of my 95 year old grandmother, I will be asked if I have a boyfriend multiple times, as she can't remember what she had for dinner, much less what she's said in conversation.

Over Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt and uncle's house, my mother was telling the story about her search for a new dining room table.

"I want to make sure that it's large enough, because I'm sure soon we'll have the kids' significant others joining us for holidays and dinners," she said.

I snorted demurely into my mashed potatoes.

She shot me a look.

"Don't worry, you can bring your gay friends. Or your cats."