Mark My Words: How about Optimism and Gaming?

Optimistic — it seems that’s what I am, though I never would have thought so. But in these times, I find myself searching for whatever good I can witness, or looking to the past to remind myself how we’ve always managed to find our way out of whatever we’ve felt trapped by.

So how do I use my optimism? Optimism is hoping and believing in the best. For me, it starts with simply appreciating what I already have in my life. Just last week, my husband Jason and I celebrated our 21st anniversary. That alone feels miraculous — and, using that word “best” again, these have truly been the best 21 years of my life. How could my heart not beat brighter and stronger when I think of the man who has stood by me and dreamed alongside me every step of the way? If you’ve ever appreciated anything my work has accomplished, you can thank Jason — none of it would have been possible without him at my side.

Our life is full of surprises, too. Lately, he’s been trying to convince me to slow down a little. His latest idea? To turn me into a gamer. That’s right — a gamer. And to my surprise, I’m loving it! In case you’re wondering, the game I’m playing is “Astro Bot.” Of course, just when we think we’ve planned some downtime, new projects somehow find their way to our door anyway — that seems to be how life works.

Even with all that, we’ve created a new family rule: after dinner, we turn off the computers, ignore the phone and simply have family time. Jason, our (still-thinks-she’s-a-puppy) dog Zola and I cuddle up and stream something together — lately we’ve been hooked on the mysteries written by Harlan Coben on Netflix.

Those quiet, cozy evenings make it feel possible to get up the next morning and tackle whatever comes our way — to keep moving through this unbelievable chapter in history. Because no matter what the day throws at me, I know that later, I’ll be sitting with Jason and Zola, enjoying the simple gift of family time once more — and that is what keeps me hopeful.