Reception Inception

"Can I help you?" The man at the front desk asks. "Yes I am here for the party." "Just take the elevator around the lobby." The elevator door opens and I take a left and walk to the end of the hall. I knock and my nephew pulls open the door. I walk in to the room and see my father-n-law sliding up the knot of my son's orange tie. "You look great!" I say. I glance over to my nephew who is fixing his orange socks and straightening his bow-tie. Both boys are restless in anticipation of the reception scheduled to start very soon.


The party space is quickly filling up with guests, family and friends. The Bar Mitzvah Man is soaking in all the attention and accolades thrusted upon him by the guests and his handling it like a pro. The cocktail hour will action packed with music, casino tables, and hot hor d'ourves. I am standing with my wife talking to guests and I take a moment to scan the room. I see my nephew surrounded by his friends having the time of his life and then see my son, unsure of his standing, a step back off the crowd. My niece walks up to my son and they have a conversation while peeking into the crowd, feeling a bit outside. But today is the Bar Mitzvah Man's day and at this time the back seat is filled with cousins. 


The party kicks it up a notch once the DJ and the M.C. takes the mic. The dance floor is packed with girls in mix-matched socks and boys with loose ties and shirt tails half out. The entertainment staff a well oiled machine, engaging the guests and schooling the dance moves. My son is inching into the jam, following the moves, and checking in with one of his "sister" cousins, who has seemed to attract a crowd of pre-teen "followers" to her every step. Quickly the party is alive with the beats peaking, the strobes blinding, and the floor rumbling. The adults take a turn staking claim to the dance floor, as the teens take a break to eat and gather for pictures. 


After desert is served and the frenzy is winding down, I walk around the dance floor, taking a mental attendance while taking a few more pictures. Some guests are saying their goodbyes and parents are starting to arrive for extraction. The dance floor has thinned but the DJ has not let up. I stop at the far end and freeze to watch a foursome singing and dancing together and laughing like they did not have a care in the world. My nephew, my two nieces and my son all facing each other taking turns incorporating a comical move into their dance routine in an attempt to entertain the others. They radiate collectively, not only to kick off the festivities but to close them out as well.