Years ago, as I struggled with a life changing decision, my counselor commented that my life was better than a Lifetime movie. Now, with a little distance between that experience and my life today, I can appreciate the humor in that statement. At the time, all I could think was, "Seriously?? I'm paying for this type of advice." If I was entertaining her, shouldn't I have been the one being paid? But, as my family has always been a supporter of therapy the way some families support the arts, I continued to go twice a month to either give her the next chapter of the book, or receive some perspective...who knows which. The way I look at it, some people donate to worthy charities, I happen to subsidize my therapist's vacation home in Maui. I think it makes me feel better to go and relate these experiences out loud, if for nothing other than to assure me they actually did happen.

"So, your aunt damned your mother to Hell for voting for Obama before or after dinner?" was the question asked on one of my most memorable visits to Terri's office. I proceeded to tell her the whole story which was the damnation came during dinner as my mother tried to explain her political decisions to her born again Christian sister. As a woman of faith myself, I completely appreciate my aunt's new viewpoint and lifestyle. I do, however, have a small problem with the idea she completely forgot the thoughts and opinions she has had her entire life. My mother, on the other hand, can handle none of it. She, who believes in the spirit of the trees, can't just smile, nod and say pass the peas, please. She continues to spout rhyme and reason to justify her vote which is doing nothing to assure my aunt my mother won't be spending eternity with Lucifer but does seem to be entertaining the rest of us. Fortunately for all of us (as sad as that seems), my three year old niece decided it was time to serenade the table with screams only dogs could hear. My stepbrother and his wife seemed to have developed incredibly bad hearing as they seemed completely unaffected by the demons that obviously just took over their daughter. As I reached to fill my wine glass yet again, I was amazed that my mother wonders why I don't visit more often...