Dear Queenie,
A favorite lady friend of mine is suffering from what I call the Madame Butterfly syndrome. Living close to the shore, she believes that one fine day her lover will appear and sweep her off her feet. It is true that one day a Belgian shipwrecked sailor did make his desperate appearance at her homestead wearing little more than a microscopic speedo. But is that any motive to confuse idealism with fantasy?
I love this person very much, but how can I persuade her that life is not a bowl of roses and that romance is not the product of an over-imaginative brain? Even so, whereas one should not look desperately for love, love has a way of finding you!
Queenie, what do you think?—Puzzled and perplexed
Dear Puzzled and perplexed,
There are some old sayings that seem to apply to your lady friend: “There are none so blind as those who will not see” and “seeing things through rose-coloured glasses.”
You cannot force her to see things realistically. All you can do is stand by and be there for her when real life jumps up and bites her where it hurts most.
And if, as I suspect, you are waiting for her to see you through those rose-coloured glasses, you might consider trying to add a little romance to your relationship with her.
