Zoe's "Happy Place"

The other day after dinner Maya regaled Zoe and me with a convoluted tale of second-grade outrage, sad that a little boy SHE ASKED TO GO AWAY actually did what she asked and mad that he went to play with another little boy she says is "evil."  Ah, the daily soap opera that is Maya's life!

Wanting to comfort and calm, Zoe suggested that Maya think pleasant thoughts:  "Why don't you imagine you're in a castle in Cloudland with a pony and a pink unicorn, married to Prince Nicolas (the first boy), with David (the supposedly evil boy!) in the dungeon?!"

Trying to redirect, I asked Maya if Cloudland in a castle with a pony and pink unicorn was her "happy place."  Making a few adjustments (they all became cats a la Warriors), Maya agreed that a castle with a pony and a pink unicorn, etc., qualified as her "happy place."

Since Zoe did such a good job of nailing the perfect "happy place" for Maya, I asked her where her "happy place" would be.  Her answer was immediate -- "China!  And you and Maya would be there, and so would my birth parents!"

Ah, yes.  The perfect "happy place," no losses, joining two cultures, joining two families.