Not the Destination, but the Journey

:) I love my friends and family. They are truly, TRULY good to me, and if it weren't for them, I wouldn't know what I had to look forward to in life. :) I often forget that this isn't a race to the finish, but a long, meandering path that will take me in directions that I don't even know exist yet. Lots of stops along the way, some derailments, but lots of forward momentum, because I have nowhere to go but forward. I often find myself wishing that something would pass, that I could skip to the end result, the outcomes of events, actions, ideas... but that's not how it works.

Recently, I had a conversation with my eldest daughter about fairy tales. She was saying they were all lies, but I corrected her. They are not lies, but instead ieas, and ideals. They are what we long for in life, as unrealistic as it often is. They should not be measure of success in life, or something to hold your life against, but they embody ideals. You meet someone who brings you happiness, and who, in turn, you make happy. That's not unrealistic, but thinking that because you met that person your life will then become perfect IS unrealistic, and ultimately self-defeating. Think of all the people turned aside, because they didn't fit Prince Charming's character description. What if he had a beer gut, would he be any less charming? What if he had bad acne, would he be less empathetic or a lousy partner? What if he wasn't rich? Would that make him less desireable? Does he need to be successful for him to ring your bell? They may all sound like cosmetic things, but maybe that's the point. The heart is something trancendental and pure, regardless of packaging, and lets not get started on the size of the Fair Princess' thighs. IS she any less a princess for being a size 14?

Happiness comes when you stop trying to force the issue. You accept the joy you are given. You eschew the crap for what it is... crap. WE ALL have crap in our lives.. be it a speeding ticket, late payments on your credit card, bad relationship history, STDs, crummy job. Most of these can be dealt with, worked around, coped with. What are you willing to do to be happy? Anything it takes? That's a tall order, and often open ended.

I'm learning to enjoy the ride. I often forget that it takes time to get to the destination, because I get caught up in everything it's taking to get there. And if I don't get it right today, I still have tomorrow... and the day after, and the day after that.. :)