Illusions

After the morning break in one of my seminars, I noticed that Stephanie, a pretty brunette in her late twenties, had not returned. She had come with her mother, Rosalie, who had paid for Stephanie’s registration. Rosalie wanted her daughter, who was to be married in a few months, to learn before marriage what Rosalie had learned the hard way after a bitter divorce.
Not wanting to keep the other women waiting, I asked Rosalie where Stephanie was. She answered “Stephanie left. She said she didn’t want her romantic illusions shattered.”

How amazing, I thought. Here was a woman who would soon be a wife, who knew she had illusions which I assume had to do with her future husband – yet she wanted to hold on to them.

This wasn’t denial where Stephanie didn’t know that she didn’t know. It wasn’t the ostrich syndrome where she thought she was safe because she closed her eyes. Her eyes were wide open, but she was wearing rose colored glasses.

I wonder how her marriage is faring.