HAPPINESS

The other night I was watching the first Sex in the City movie.  There was a scene when all four main characters are sitting at a table talking about happiness.  Samantha is in an unhappy relationship, Miranda's separated from her husband, Carrie just got jilted at the altar and Charlotte is in a very good, happy marriage.  Samantha (and the following may not be exact quotes) makes the comment along the line of "who's happy all the time, every day anyway?"  Charlotte - always the optimist - answers, "I am."  The other three look at her in amazement and she continues, "Not all the time, all day.  But everyday I find something to be happy about."

My blogging and Facebook friend, Tracy, started writing on Facebook "500 Days of Happiness."  Every day she writes about something that makes her happy.  Tracy, who I can't wait to meet someday and has a wicked sense of humor, suffers from severe fibromyalgia.  There are days she cannot get out of bed.  There was a time she passed off her daily happiness writing to a friend for a few weeks as her health just could not let her see any happiness.  But she bounded back and kept writing.  She is now almost finished with the 500 days, having less than 60 days to go.  She has recently written about how  much this project of finding happiness has changed her life.  To see the joy in life, even if it is just for a fleeting moment, has had a profound impact on her.  She wasn't sure if she could do it for 500 days, but she is almost there.

Another friend, Kate, has kept a gratitude journal for years.  She has notebooks and notebooks filled.  Each evening before bed she writes five  things she was grateful for that day.  There have been days where she has struggled to find those five things and other days when she felt she could have filled pages of things to be grateful for.  But for over ten years, Kate has faithfully written in her gratitude journals.  Even if all she felt thankful for was a cup of coffee and a hot shower.  Amazing.

I think gratitude and happiness go pretty much hand in hand.  At least for me they do.  I have learned that happiness is always lurking, just waiting to be found.  And, like Tracy and Kate have discovered, it is very often found in nature.  For me, most of the happiness I encounter is in nature.

I am fortunate that I do not have a debilitating illness and I know I do not have it in me to faithfully keep a gratitude journal or write about happiness for 500 days, but I do know that I can find happiness at least once a day.  In all honesty, most days I feel a lot of happiness.

Sure I wish some things in my life were different, but even if I had what I think I want, it may not make me happy.  I have so much to be grateful for as it is:  a supportive and wonderful family, fabulous friends, a lovely home, the money to pay bills every month ( with a little left over), silly dogs with their unconditional love, great neighbors, a part time job I enjoy, et certera, et certera, et certera.  I am blessed.  (Oh, did I mention that pension check the first of every month?)    Even is my darkest times where I struggled to get out of bed each day (and thank goodness those times are far and few between) I found happiness each day.  A goofy dog antic, a bird at the feeder, a butterfly at a flower, a thunderstorm, that cup of coffee and a hot shower, chocolate chip cookies, a quilt block that actually turns out. 

So, I agree with Charlotte.  Every day there is happiness to be found.  I hope you find your daily dose.  Just look out the window or do something nice for yourself.  Savor the moment.  It's there.