Doing Something Right

[rbnyc]

As I've said many times, my office environment is totally psychologically toxic. It's just painful to be here. So I'm going to take a minute break here in the Lounge to write about something that makes me happy.

Last night part of my first-grader's homework was to read a story and then have a discussion with me about the difference between reality and fantasy. We did this at bedtime. We started by describing different scenarios to each other and then the other person would have to say whether that was real or imagined. For example, Mommy: "There's a monster in your closet." G: "That's just in your imagination." G: "Daddy likes to eat cookies after everyone goes to bed." Mommy: "That is a reality."

After a few of these I asked him the difference between reality and fantasy. He said, "Reality is something really true and fantasy is something made up." I asked, "How can you tell if something is true?" G said, "You can see it." I said, "You can see it, hear it, feel it, smell it, taste it or otherwise measure it. But there may be exceptions to that rule. I love you. Is that reality or fantasy."

"That's reality!" exclaimed G.

"Can you see my love?"

"Not really."

"Can you smell it?"

"No."

"Then how do you know it's real?"

Now this is what he said that made me so happy and that is so much more important than office politics and mean, judgmental, petty, unhappy co-workers. He said, "Love is invisible but it is definitely real. Your love is inside you, but your love is also inside me. And my love is inside me, but it is also inside you. And our love is inside us, and also inside Daddy. And Daddy's love is inside him and also inside both of us."

If he knows that so clearly and confidently, we must be doing something right.

Now, back to work.