PERFECT MOMENTS

Last fall a young friend of mine interviewed me for a high school English project. She asked me, "What is a perfect day for you?"

I answered that I didn't think there were perfect days, only perfect moments. Sometimes we go too fast or have become so jaded that we don't recognize them. I wish I'd realized that a lot sooner.

Today held some perfect moments. The morning started with a breakfast meeting with my assistant, Shaunna. Over bagels, we discussed my upcoming travel schedule and the information I needed to plan for my events and schools visits. It's comforting to work with someone who cares so much about her job. She makes my life easier and I can spend more time writing. As we left, I handed her a tote bag filled with items to mail. I drove away happy, knowing I could turn back to my proofs because Shaunna was taking care of the other details.

I worked on my proofs some more at a coffee shop and when I started to feel defensive about a query, I reminded myself that I have the best job in the world. I do. And how nice that I have a copy editor that will put my sentences to the test. A lot of people are behind one book.

Lunch with a good friend, an hour phone call from my daughter, a sweet card from my parents--more perfect moments.

There really are two ways to look at things. Life's craziness makes it easy to forget that. Even the smallest moment can remind us though. We have an apple tree in our backyard that grows some mighty fine apples. Just ask the worms that beat us to them each year. But late yesterday afternoon, I stared out my living room window and noticed a perfect apple hanging from a low branch. From where I sat, the fruit appeared unblemished, its skin red fading into just a hint of yellow. My mouth watered. I wanted that apple. But when I walked into the yard, a closer look at the other side quickly made me change my mind. If I'd only picked it a few days ago, biting into that beautiful crisp apple might have been a perfect moment. And it was--for the worm.