In The Eye Of The Beholder Poem by Jim Yerman

When I sit and watch TV I am bombarded by perfection…
Everybody has bright white teeth and a silky smooth complexion.

They live in enormous houses in the country or by the shore
all decorated by the finest designers in luxurious decors.

They drive cars with foreign names meant to thrill, amaze…astound
and when not behind the wheel they have a chauffeur who drives them all around.

But when the show is over I look around and always smile at what I see
knowing my life does not quite match the one on my TV

When I look into my mirror I often have to pause
because the body and complexion I see…have their share of flaws..

The house Deborah and I live in has never given us reason to complain
even though the laundry room remains unfinished and our street floods in the rain.

Our car is nice but is not the kind that will easily astound…
and there is no chauffeur waiting…who will drive us both around…

But I've come to realize something about perfection as I've grown a little older
Perfection, a lot like beauty, lies in the eyes of the beholder.

Yesterday we had lunch with some of our grandchildren and once again I was shown
despite its imperfections…how splendid my life has grown.

Like all families we've had our ups and downs…
as our family constantly transforms…
But together we have ridden those highs and weathered every storm.

For the most part everyone in our family is happy
For the most part we are healthy…
As I sat with our grandchildren yesterday I had to wonder…
How did I get so wealthy?

My life might not be TV perfect…but….I am happy to admit
my real world life is perfect…at least from where I sit.