Livin' the Dream

Now and then a moment comes along that is so completely perfect, it leaves one breathless. I've actually enjoyed two such moments so far this year. My theory is that once you attain a certain level of contentment and peace in life, it's easier to savor the small stuff and you begin to notice the glimpses of absolute joy in everyday life.

One of these moments was in June, when we took the kids on vacation to Wisconsin Dells. One afternoon my husband was splashing around and playing with the kids in the pool. I sat poolside with a book and fruity drink with an umbrella. The sky was a perfect Crayola drawing and the temperature was fit for Goldilocks: not too hot, not too cold, not too humid. My kids were shrieking in delight, my husband was laughing, and I was enraptured by coconut, pineapple, and a good plot. This is the good life. It doesn't get any better than this.

Last night was another perfect moment. My husband took me out for a delayed birthday dinner, since he had to work on my birthday. We went to a nice restaurant and got stuffed full of pasta and rich sauces, then headed over to Barnes & Noble. We go to B&N on nearly every date. On our first date, my husband was aghast to learn I'd never read Anne Rice, so immediately after dinner he took me to B&N and bought me the boxed set of the Vampire series. In hardback. Our shared love of reading is just one of a hundred things that absolutely delight me about him. On this latest trip, we actually only bought two books but we agreed that it was just the shared experience of prowling the aisles and meeting up to show each other our finds that makes it fun. We had some coffee, plus a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake for me, and I was in heaven. It truly doesn't get any better than this.

At my core, I am a simple creature with simple desires. Family, fiction, and food are all it takes to wring from me great sighs of contentment. Lately, when someone asks my husband how he's doing, he replies, "Livin' the dream." People usually laugh, assuming he's being sarcastic. The funny thing is, he's not. Like anybody else, we'd like to have more money, more time, and more stuff, but we know we have all we need to be happy. That is something worth savoring.