Looking for a vacation destination? If you are, consider the state one is often in but doesn’t know it. You can visit this state daily and it offers all of your favorite amenities, most notably, avoidance, suspension of belief, altered reality and rationalized contradiction, all the things that will keep you fresh and keep you going. I am, of course, talking about the great state of Denial. Contrary to what shrinks may claim, Denial is a healthy state as long as one key requirement is met: You must not deny being in Denial.
Denial will soon be your favorite state. Go ahead, look at the calendar and your daughter’s dwindling elementary school career and ignore the fact that middle school is waiting around the next corner, ready to slap you in the face. Avoid stepping one toe into your children’s bedrooms to preserve oblivion. And when they “clean” their rooms, just take a quick glance rather than inspect under the bed, in the closet, behind the dressers and in the previously-organized tubs. Soon you’ll be floating through your day, a smile plastered to your face, secure in believing the world is filled with roses and sunshine.
We discourage living in the state of Denial but it is a wonderful place to visit . . . frequently. But don’t go to Denial blindly. In order to fully capitalize on Denial’s benefits, it’s important to know that’s exactly where you are going and exactly how long you can stay. One day, you will have to figure out middle school logistics. And one day you’ll have to pull out all those dust bunnies. But not today. We’ll keep you from going crazy with worry about the future and help you focus on the present. So grab your bikinis and your surf boards. It’s going to be another glorious day in Denial.
P.S. FYI—My goal is to update my blog weekly.
