What is Real?

“What is real?”  asked the Velveteen Rabbit.
It’s funny the things that stay in your mind from books read in the past. I’ve posted this quote and my thoughts on it before however this morning as I was ironing (I’m thinking I should iron more often), this line popped into my head once again and I asked myself, “What IS real”?
REAL is getting out of bed in the morning, looking in the mirror and noticing the hair standing up at all angles because of the way that you slept.
REAL is seeing a face with wrinkles and blemishes not yet covered by makeup and eyes that look as if another hour or two of sleep wouldn’t do them any harm.
REAL is feeling a little resentful that the cat can stay curled up in the indentation on the bed left by your body whilst you fumble around looking for the slippers that you are sure you left by the side of the bed the night before.
REAL is sitting quietly and attempting meditation whilst the cat decides that the bed is no longer fun if you aren’t there and comes in demanding your attention.
REAL is not the image of a slender, young woman dressed in white seated in the lotus position with a look of absolute serenity upon her meditating face. Rather it is an almost-50 year old dressed in a pink, fluffy dressing gown, hands tucked up into the sleeves because it’s chilly and a cat now purring peacefully upon her lap trying her darnedest to stop her mind from mentally compiling her ‘to do’ list for the day and re-run things that happened yesterday over in her mind whilst still searching for the serenity that appears to come quite easily to slender, young women dressed in white.
REAL is looking at the clock and realising that the healthy breakfast you had promised yourself that you would make will have to wait until tomorrow as you grab a banana, the car keys and your bag and race out the door.
REAL is promising yourself (and all of the wonderful self help gurus you try to emulate) that today you will be at peace within yourself, see the point of view of others, remain calm, look for the good in every situation etc etc only to find yourself blurting out something that you instantly regret and coming home seething over something that has happened (and beating up on yourself for failing).
REAL is allocating study time and then becoming distracted by Candy Crush.
REAL is watching episodes of Super Nanny and making mental notes to try her techniques next time the grandkids come to stay but then forgetting everything when faced with fighting children.
REAL is promising that you won’t whine and complain about things but then feel an amazing sense of relief when you find a sympathetic ear.
REAL is laughing at politically incorrect jokes or comments and then hoping that nobody nearby heard you do so.
REAL is wanting to improve, taking steps to do so, falling down, making mistakes, realising that it’s harder than you thought it would be but not giving up.

REAL is me.
What about you?

Doesn’t this look like an ocean or lake? REALity is a beautiful foggy sunrise.