Just about every morning, while I’m eating my breakfast, I watch some sort of “fly over” video on YouTube. These videos are of beautiful places I have never been and more than likely will never be. These beautiful places look so peaceful and perfect. The sun is always shining. There is never any traffic, police sirens, or dogs barking. Most of the time nobody is outside, except for maybe a random animal. It’s just these picture perfect places, this peaceful music, and me sitting on the couch with a bowl of oatmeal wondering what the day will bring and dreaming of one day living in a picture perfect peaceful place.

Don’t get me wrong, I love where I live. I love seeing the deer run past my window. I love having a house to call my own. I love my family, both physical and spiritual. I just love where I am right now. But it’s not always this picture perfect peaceful place.

Some nights the dogs bark constantly. Some days are gloomy and cold. Sometimes I grumble a little as I get out of bed. My house could always use a good cleaning. The dishes are dirty and so is my dog. Laundry again? Sure, why not. And let’s not get started about food and gas prices. My life is not this picture perfect peaceful place.

Maybe that’s why I watch these videos. I’m longing for a picture perfect peaceful place. A place where I imagine everyone is happy and every need is met, everything is just right and perfect, and everywhere you look you stand in awe of the beauty you see. A place you can picture in your mind, but seems to be just out of reach.

This picture perfect peaceful place may never be our reality while living on this earth. There are days that will be gloomy, cold, and rainy. There will be moments of sadness, aggravation, stress, and definitely moments that bring us to our knees. The wonderful thing is that this doesn’t have to last all eternity.

By: Kristina Odom