We Can Pretend

My biology professors young daughter begged her father to give her one more piece of candy left over from Easter. Her father questioned her on why would she want ONE more piece when she had already had plenty of the candy. When the father questioned his wife on how much candy their daughter had, he found out that the little girl had already eaten eight pieces of candy. Instead, the father said that maybe its better if they could have a healthier snack such as a yogurt (this was at 9 in the evening). Nevertheless the girl begged for at least a little piece of the PEZ candy (the little candy tablets that come with a collectible dispenser). When her father gave her permission, she took out instead a huge marshmallow size candy. Her father told her that its too big and they had agreed on a small candy. And "besides,"he said, "it's not healthy." His daugher replied "But can't I eat it and pretend that it's healthy?"
Children are the most honest and intelligent little people on the planet if I may say so! Sometimes they can shock us with how much they know. But this is not what I'm here to share about. I just wanted to elaborate a little bit on the topic of pretending.
We are all able to pretend in one way or the other and at times it takes skill to be able to pretend and at the same time convince yourself that what you are pretending is the right thing.
A young successful woman in a Gucci suite and expensive heels walks into her spacious New York private office with a smile plastered on her face, greets her secretary cheerfully and closes the door behind her. No one can see the hurt, turmoil, and frustrations within her, all hidden under expensive clothing and a plastic smile, but she is determined to show that she is in control.
A girl who had just been through an abortion can pretend that now all her worries and fears that had to do with her unplanned baby are gone and in the past. She comes back home, pretending that the tiny life within her was nothing but a mass of tissue and her choice certainly had eliminated her worries of having to confront her furious parents if they had found out she was pregnant.
A Christian individual, who sees the crumbling morals of his society, pretends that it's all okay and he/she could swing by and not exactly confront these issues (for example, same sex marriage, abortion, homosexuality, adultery, lust, murder...etc) and at the same time not offend one or the other person when an issue of sinful nature comes up. By pretending, this person's daily hobby is of putting on his/her Christian mask and blending in with the masses just because it seems right...to pretend.
We pretend that a particular issue in our lives is what it should be. We put on a brave face, stick out our chin and grit our teeth, but we all too often wear ourselves out pretending. You see, pretending doesn't always do us good. Just like eating a bagfull of candy in one sitting and pretending that it is healthy will only earn us a painful, scarred-for-life experience at the dentists. Pretending in front of the children that you and your husband are still in love even though you are both quietly filing for divorce, will cause you to loose your children's trust and respect. Pretending that you are okay when in fact you are in the middle of a war within yourself will earn you quizzical glances of friends/family and eventually a trip to a therapist.
Pretending is a full time job with consequences. A full time job is reality...pretending though...is not.