Poor Betsy Bonaparte doesn't have it easy. That's as true in my novel, American Socialite as it is in the historical record. Abandoned by a lout of a husband, she's literally left stranded far from home in Europe. Betsy expresses anger and resentment throughout American Socialite and, in a sense, she has good reason to. She's been promised a life that she's ultimately not allowed to live. Such things are hard on the psyche - very hard.
Yet Betsy's biggest problem in American Socialite is her insatiable set of expectations. Rather than accepting her situation at some point and simply being thankful for the life she has - and it's a luxurious life, indeed - Betsy instead chooses to pine for what cannot be. It ends up being an exhaustive waste of time. As frustrating as her situation is, one wishes Betsy could simply make the best of it.
Her son, Bo, however, doesn't end up having Betsy's expectations. He's happy with what he has. Even when a "greater" life than the one he leads is dangled before him, Bo doesn't get overly excited. In truth, he'd rather not live a "greater" life at all. He prefers the life of a successful American businessman to that of a member of royalty . Although he's not perfect, Bo certainly has a more balanced outlook than his mother.
None of this is to suggest Betsy is a villain. To the contrast, the woman is unquestionably a victim. As we head into Thanksgiving, though, it's good to note the importance of focusing on what we have, rather than what we don't. That's a lesson Betsy could learn, but so could the rest of us. We all get overwhelmed by our expectations, after all. Betsy certainly isn't the only one guilty of that shortcoming.
*To pick up a copy of American Socialite, simply click on the link below.
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