In a philosophy class I took many years ago, I recall learning about Plato's Perfect Circle. The basic concept is that a true, perfect circle has never been seen, but we all have the concept of a circle in our minds that we can (always imperfectly) reproduce.

I was thinking about this with regards to several things in my life. Diet, for one. Dr. D'Adamo has presented the world with a tremendous amount of information that continues to be refined and added to, and gets closer and closer to the idea of the 'perfect' diet for each of us. We modify it to suit our tastes, sensitivities, lifestyles, etc., and try to model our diets after this 'perfect' model. We'll never achieve the perfect diet, just as we'll never produce a perfect circle. And I'm okay with that! As long as I continue to strive for that 'perfect diet', I'll be in good health.

I was thinking about the perfect circle concept with regards to relationships, too. The difference with this, though, is that each of our concepts of the 'perfect' relationship is different, whereas everyone's concept of a circle is the same and has the same form. My concept of the perfect relationship for me would be vastly different than my father's idea of the perfect relationship for me, and particularly different than his concept of the perfect relationship for himself. Same for my mother. Same for anyone else in my life, including Gordon. I think it is fascinating that we all have different emotional, intellectual, and physical needs, and this shapes our concepts of what would be the perfect relationship for us.

This came into stark perspective tonight when I talked to my father and told him about Gordon. I described Gordon's personality a bit, and Dad asked several questions - career, height, hair color, what kind of car he drives, etc. His reaction to my telling him how overjoyed I was to have found this man and have him in my life was nothing but judgmental and negative, so clearly HIS idea of the perfect relationship for me and MY idea of the perfect relationship for me are very different. Dad was looking at the stuff that doesn't matter one whit to me, and I told him so. The conversation disappointed me, and I probably won't tell Dad much more about Gordon until they meet and can decide for themselves what they think of each other.

And it looks like they will meet next month. During my conversation with Dad, he said that I should probably look to visit Gramma in the next few months, and that he didn't think she'd make it to Christmastime. When I told Gordon that, he said, "Then let's plan a trip." So we did, and we'll hit the road in mid-August to make the journey to Texas. (Our first road trip!)

Should be a busy weekend for me. Tomorrow I will drop my film off at the drugstore, head to the chiropractor, and then nap for a few hours. Meet with my life coach at 5pm, and then Gordon and I will go out to dinner and a movie, perhaps with Anne and the guy she's been seeing.

Saturday will be a laundry/clean apartment day, and then babysit for a darling girl Saturday evening. Gordon's got plans most of the day, so I'll be on my own. Sunday we plan on going out for a dim sum brunch (where I'll be eating avoids, I'm sure, but I'll try to be fairly good). Nap Sunday afternoon, and then Sunday evening Gordon and I will have dinner with his mother and sister at his mother's home. I'm excited to meet them, but nervous, too. I keep telling myself that we all have Gordon's best interests at heart, and that it will be fine. But I'm still nervous!