A brief excursus to my Personal Happy Place. . .

The sky is so blue it hurts your eyes just to look at it.
Not a cloud in the sky, the sun is bright enough to light up all the land around the medium length bright green grass that surrounds my old willow tree that I used to play around when I was a kid. I love that tree. It shades me, it challenges me to climb, it stays in one spot and never leaves. Its always there, and doesn't have any care in the world for what my background is, what my accomplishments are, how much debt I have, nothing. Its only interest is in me just showing up and sitting beneath it. His branches seem to wave hello in the wind as the lightly graze me when I walk up to him. He's just a simple, good friend.

I sit and see my puppy min-pin scruffy. His excitement to see me is uncontrollable, he cannot stop wagging his tail a hundred miles an hour, barking up a storm, and acting like I'm just the best thing since sliced bread. No pretension, no conniving hidden agenda, no dull, crusty attitude problem, he's not stuffed full of himself, he's just plain and simple hyperfocused on me. In the moment that he sees me, I'm about the only thing in the whole world that exists in his eyes. Nothing can stop him from tackling me upon arrival, and nothing could possibly ruin or spoil his gladness to see me--nothing--not the disappointment of grades, not the let downs of false expectations, not the abrasiveness of my bossy nature, No--none of it. He doesn't care about any of that, he just barks, wags, and tackles. He's just as ADHD as I am, and we both love every minute together.

No sooner do I hold him in my arms that I look over to my wife, who sees the whole wacky situation and can't help but smile and tell me what a great time she always has with me every time I come over. Her gorgeous, long, silky, curly black hair catches the wind flowing through the willow, and the sun gleaming from the sky, and we sit down together, side-by-side, where I can just lean on her and her on me. In the shade. Together. No deadlines. No debts. No sicknesses. No other priorities besides just being together, and enjoying being together.

That's where we stay. That's what we do. That's how we feel.
No liars. No cheats. No jobs. No competitions. No hate. No fights. No grumpy neighbors. No people judging you who don't understand you anyway. No miscommunication.
Just Me, My willow, My puppy, My Wife, and Our Time Together, Our wonderful Time.