Saturday, June 16, 2007

What is Happiness, Part II?

Happiness is cool summer mornings, complete with a simple breakfast of bread, cheese and tomatoes, and strong coffee.  Happiness is seeing your garden flourish and knowing that your hard work is paying off.  Happiness is looking around your house and seeing order and cleanliness. 

Happiness is having your car not start but having a brother who can fix the problem and get you going again (bringing the 3 yr old bubbly niece with him who thinks it's a riot that she and Daddy are there to rescue Auntie! and liberally declaring Daddy is the HERO when the car starts!)

Happiness is seeing a seven yr old brother reading to the two young nieces and rejoicing in his ability and desire to read. 

Happiness is a phone call from a sister in Florida who says that she is having a good time (she's there for the summer) yet misses you. 

Happiness isn't always about family, or the house, or the garden or the day - sometimes happiness is a choice.  Like when you are working a 70 hour week with an 80 min daily commute and you feel summer slipping away...or when someone you love is going through a very hard time and you are unable to comfort because they are in a different country, or when your car doesn't start and it's almost 10pm and you don't know why and you're dead tired.  Therein also lies happiness, if one chooses to, because things can always be worse and if they're not, that is cause for rejoicing.

Happiness is not a fake smile and a carefree attitude or hiding under the covers (my favourite thing to do when life isn't going well) but it is a choice.

Today, on Saturday the 16th of June,i choose happiness.  i choose joy.  i choose to have a good attitude. i choose to snuggle with that 8 month old baby and play under the wheeping willow tree with the three year old. 

It's going to be a good day.

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