Letter from Publisher

Past Perfect

This month presents a quandary for me. There are a number of issues about which I need to make a decision, but I find myself stuck in considering-theoptions mode, not making any decisions at all. Buying a new cell phone, for instance, should be a relatively simple task— but not when I should have bought a new phone a year ago, and now, with a cracked screen and an extremely limited battery life, the issue has come to a head.

The problem is that I want to buy the absolutely best cell phone for me. I don’t need the latest technology, but I do want something of quality that will last, that updates quickly and that lets me do the things I want to do without necessarily knowing in advance what those things are. For example, I now know that my current cell phone has a limited camera, but I only knew that after noticing my son could take better pictures with his phone. At a higher level, I don’t want to make a mistake, have regrets and be angry with myself. It’s a lot of pressure, thinking through every potential future scenario to lessen the likelihood of regret. It’s also quite perfectionistic and unrealistic thinking. The good news is I’ve seen that tendency in myself for a while now.

So I will buy a new cell phone this week, knowing I did my research. If issues arise, I will have compassion for myself by acknowledging I couldn’t possibly have anticipated everything that could go wrong. And finally I will be satisfied that I have a really great camera.

Wishing you a perfection-free month of Mother’s Day,