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In a Perfect World

I think I would really enjoy living in paradise.

Although I do wonder sometimes if it would get boring after a while. I know some people who live at the beach say they hardly ever go, even though they moved there because they love the beach. It is no longer the place they fantasize about escaping to; it just becomes the place they live.

I know I said in my last post that perhaps things can only be extraordinary when you compare them to something ordinary. Maybe that doesn’t just apply to paradise. Maybe that applies to everything. A beautiful day. An exciting win. A perfect date. Maybe things can only be wonderful if sometimes things are terrible. At least that’s what I tell my clients as a way to help them appreciate sadness, anger, fear, and heartbreak.

Still, I’d like to give it a shot, just to make sure.

For me, in a perfect world…

I would have a place in Hawaii and Switzerland. And it wouldn’t take an entire day to get there.

It would be easy to find someone to date. And he would never drive me crazy.

Federer would always win.

The weather would always be perfect for tennis. And when it rained, it would do so after midnight.

I would have enough money to get awesome seats at any sporting event.

UVA would win the national championship in football and basketball in the same year.

My family and friends would always be healthy, happy, and safe. And so would I.

Every morning I would wake up feeling like something exciting was going to happen.

No one would make me feel ashamed that I woke up at noon.

Every book I read would be the kind that I never want to end.

And when it did, there would be a sequel that’s just as good as the first one. Maybe a whole series, even.

And then the author would write another series and that one would be just as good.

My blog would be widely read.

Some big-time publisher would approach me and tell me they want to turn my blog into a book.

I would be packing right now instead of procrastinating. And I would have put away my laundry last night instead of sleeping with all my folded clothes next to me in the bed.

I would be excited before a trip instead of stressed out about all of the things that I have to do before I leave.

I would not be depressed after the trip was over because there would be something new and exciting waiting for me when I got home.

Today I woke up at 6 am, which is crazy for me. I was all excited and couldn’t fall back asleep. There’s lots of good tennis on at Wimbledon today. My mixed doubles team plays tonight, and we have a good chance of winning. And all I have to do today is pack for my trip tomorrow, where I will get to play more tennis and spend time with my niece.

Maybe it’s not a perfect world, but we can still have moments of perfection. And this is one of them, because Federer’s match is about to start.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Lately I have been reminded of why I never watch the news. Ignorance really is bliss, as far as my mental health is concerned.

I’ve been particularly disheartened by our inability to see things from the other side’s perspective. And I admit, it’s not easy for me to do, either. So I decided to try to see things from a fresh perspective by asking my eight year old niece about some of the fundamental questions that underlie the latest headlines. Here are the highlights from our interview:

Me: What is truth?

Sadie: Being honest.

Me: But what about when both people see the same thing but have different stories about it? What’s the truth then?

Sadie: Well, neither side is lying. I guess you could get another person who also watched and they could say what the truth is.

Me: What are you thankful for?

Sadie: Everything.

Me: Be specific.

Sadie: Leaves, hands, feet, legs, and pumpkins. (We were eating pumpkin waffles at the time. I have no idea why she said the other stuff.)

Me: What can we do to help people get along?

Sadie: Let’s say that I have a friend but my other friend doesn’t like her. I can tell my other friend that I’m going to play with this new person, and you can play with her, too, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.

Me: What do you do when someone breaks the rules?

Sadie: Make them pay a fine.

Me: What if they break the rules again?

Sadie. Make them pay a bigger fine. And if they break them again make them pay an even bigger fine and put them in jail.

Me: How long should they be in jail?

Sadie: 10 years. Unless they do something really, really bad, like shoot the President. Then they should be in jail for life, because the President is the one who makes the rules.

Me: What are your strengths?

Sadie: Running and jumping.

Me: What are your weaknesses?

Sadie: Throwing and catching.

Me: If there were one new skill you could learn how to do, what would it be?

Sadie: To play basketball and football so that I won’t be scared of the ball. (Later that night she asked her mom if she could practice playing football outside in the dark.)

Me: Can you show me how to run like a girl? (SeeĀ #LikeAGirl video.)

Sadie: OK…but it’s just running like anybody else.

Sounds like a girl who is ready to watch the UVA vs. Tech game on Friday! Go Hoos!

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