10 things that make me happy no matter what: Finding joy one firefly at a time

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Happiness is a choice.

How many of you have heard that statement in your life?

How many of you agree with it?

How many of you hear that and want to take whoever authored those words and toss them hog tied in a pile of fire ants with honey over all their sensitive bits?

Yeah.

I hear you on that.

I have often (usually while in a period of life suck) heard these words and just wanted to bitchslap the person who came up with it. Because sometimes if feels like the legitimate loss or sad or suck is not being acknowledge but brushed aside in a “just get over it already” sort of way. If I am not in an open state of mind it can rankle and sometimes makes me almost want to stubbornly hold on to my bad feeling and mood. (I’m lame like that. Trying really hard to work on it, though.)

But….

Thing is, I think at its core, I agree with it.

I think that there are many times that it is simply out of your hands. So many things are beyond a person’s control. Sometimes universe just rains horrible, unfair shite down on people.

No one is special enough to escape it.

There are periods in everyone’s life where depression, sorrow, pain and suffering JUST ARE.

And they are meant to be experienced.

Mourned and dealt with and recognized.

Not glossed over.

It’s not human to be happy or pretend to be happy all the time. But, I am not sure that is what the person really meant when they said that happiness is a choice. (Mainly because I am betting they are not stupid as all holy hell.)

I think that like anything, happiness is an average.

I learned that sometimes when you are in the midst of life suck and it is hard to find anything good, you should, no–you MUST–find happiness in things big and small to survive and get back to a place of well-being.

Which is the point of the opening statement. You have the choice to react to life how you will. You have the choice to MAKE yourself focus on the good. I will full on admit that a whole lot of the time I CHOOSE to say “SUCK IT, WORLD!” and curl in the fetal position with tissues and throw chocolate at myself and drown in the depths.

But more often than not I pull out of it and consciously choose to try to move on past the sad and the ick to the best of my ability. And often my best is not so stellar, but I try. I try to look at the positive and the happy, even if it has to start off seeing the good in very small things.

I’ve done this a lot over the years.

The first time that I really remember being highly aware of it was when I was when I was still a teenager. I was on summer break and I was far away from home to perform in a choir concert and also visit my boyfriend who lived out of state. The day I arrived there I found out one of the best friends I ever had died waiting for a heart/lung transplant.

It was the worst loss I’d ever had at that point. I couldn’t change my trip and it was a horrible, useless feeling to be so far away during such tragedy.

I was so sad.

Then, on the day of his funeral, my boyfriend drove me to a hayfield and…broke up with me. I don’t really know how I didn’t see it coming and from an adult point-of-view, it made sense. Long distance relationships are difficult for grown ups to pull off, let alone two kids with college and lives in front of them.

Still, it was an awful night.

But then, something happened. I sat there in that car, by that hayfield, and trying desperately not to cry, when something caught my eye.

A flash.

Then another.

And another.

I don’t know how I didn’t notice it before, but that hayfield was filled with THOUSANDS of fireflies.

Living in Utah, I’d never seen them before.

They were magical.

And in that moment, while the boy I loved kept talking about how we were jut not meant to be, I focused my eyes and attention on the dancing fairy lights in front of me. And even though my heart was breaking, those fireflies made me feel…better.

Such a small thing, but I latched on to it and was comforted in the knowledge that good things can coexist with bad and difficult things.

I’ve thought about those fireflies a lot over the years and I’ve never forgotten the lesson in it, even if it takes a bit for me to remember in the harder times.

As if you couldn’t tell, I’m in a bit of an “UGH” place.

Some of you know some of it, most of you know none of it and NOBODY but me knows it all.

To complicate matters, it’s that time of year again. Every year I try not to dwell or overly talk about it but every start of the school year I get sad. I think what grade my Matthew, my “Little Bug” would be in had he lived longer than his short but magical burst of life. I envy the parents of other 1st graders and wish he could be amongst them.

It probably would just be a time, but his little life was SO tied to the start of school. I was the PO President at the time and it was a huge part of our lives. And then he died within the month so I have his anniversary to grapple with.

I try not to set myself up to hurt and dwell but this time of year is just hard. Some years are easier than others but it is always difficult. And when other things fall apart on me this time of year, it just makes it harder. It’s been a sucktastic few weeks. But I don’t relish being sad. I am at heart, a good-natured person that loves to smile and laugh. I’ve been down and sad long enough and I don’t need it to keep building with the time of year it is.

It’s time to look for the good.

So, I am starting.

RIGHT NOW.

(My kids are a given TOP OF THE LIST, people.)

TEN THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY NO MATTER WHAT.

1. Diet Coke. Again, I know. I love this a bit too much, but damn—it’s my best friend if you want to know the truth of it. It’ s a problem. I get up in the morning and go and get my first of the day. Consider it like a Starbucks run. Hey, I was Mormon-raised. You would be shocked how many people start their day with caffeinated soda in this state. I fully expect a group of people to jump out at me during one of my gas station runs with a camera crew to learn that I’ve been put on some Intervention-type-show. (For the record? No. Just…NO.) But still, everything about it makes me tickled with glee, so on the list it goes.

2. My job. Both blogging and the ‘real’ gig. I don’t know how I got by before blogging or working at my other job before. I LOVE my work. It is fascinating, fun, challenging and just lights me up with happy.

Even when ick things happen, over all my work makes me light up inside like a Christmas tree, people.

It’s impossible to be down when talking with my boss, Jo (this the only photo I have of us, weirdly) or working at the office. We’ve had so man fun adventures together already.



It’s really helped me to have work to focus on lately and I am unendingly grateful for it. I went down to the office early Saturday with my beloved Praire Mama to spend the day with a everyone to make table cloths and napkin holders for The Creative Connection Event in 2 weeks.

They got me to craft. UNBELIEVABLE.

I had so much fun.

I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

3. BUTTERLUMP. I know, I know…I already mentioned my children but seriously, there is something about babies (especially one as rad and super cute as my little pat of butter) that makes me incredibly happy.

Every. freaking. thing. he. does. makes my heart sing.

4. Speaking of SINGING, yeah. That. Music always makes me feel better. ALWAYS. (Well, unless I’m caught dorking out to a tune on a work break by my kids with their camera phones. Still, it’s pretty accurate. Heh.) And I am starting rehearsals on Sept. 1st for the choir I am in and am looking forward to it. Music heals the soul.



5. MITTENS. Especially when they are made of soft, soft wool and hand knit by a dear, dear friend. :)


6. Speaking of friends…FRIENDS. I love that I can go to any city and have people I know to grab a meal and have some fun with. It’s comforting.

It’s especially if you have friends that come over and make deep fried Snickers bars with you. :)

7. Driving in my car with the radio on (usually to get aforementioned dark, carbonated waters of awesomeness that is number one on this list) I have come to CHERISH my time driving in my car. Which is saying a lot considering the state of my vehicle. Remember when it got hit by one jerk of a hit-and-run driver?

Yeah, that time.

It’s STILL not fixed. There are many reasons for that, but most of them come down to the distance of my house from the nearest VW mechanic and the cost to fix it. Seriously, IT IS INSANE how expensive it is. Thinking about the many thousands of dollars I have put into this car fixing it, I probably would have been cheaper to order a mail order bride from Russia or Thailand and just ride them around town.

Seriously.

But, I dig driving and listening to music. It’s my “alone time”. I drive with the radio on and think, problem solve, sing along to music and probably speed to often. (It’s a weakness when a catchy tune comes on. I’ve got a bit of a lead foot.)

8. Television. I know. So many people hate and loathe it, but I. love. television. I love watching everything from reality TV (OMG! Danielle got fired from Real Housewives New Jersey! What ever will we do without her utterly scary-crazy psychopath presence?) to The History and Military Channel, prime time shows, summer cable series, and Mystery! on PBS. (Especially Mystery! It takes me to my happy place.)

9. CARBS OF GOODNESS:

Like THESE:

And the NUMBER ONE CARB OF GOODNESS OF ALL FREAKING TIME?

Behold…THE THIN MINT GIRL SCOUT COOKIE (And there was much rejoicing in the land. How long is it until Girl Scout cookie season again???)

10. Being spontaneous. Especially if it means crossing an item off your ‘Bucket List”. I’ve always wanted to drive to the airport, hop on a plane and go somewhere with no planning, and no packing. Just purchase what you need when you get there. Well, I didn’t do exactly that, but I had to go to Salt Lake for work suddenly and I asked Jonathan if we could just get away and spend the night at a hotel.

Shockingly, he agreed.

We packed tooth brushes, squared babysitting away for our kids and decided we’d buy everything else we needed down there. (We don’t shop a lot and it was time to get a few new things.) I got my work obligations fulfilled, we shopped, we ate a great dinner and checked into the hotel to have a night on the town.

My husband is one of the few men out there capeable of making 5′8 me feel TINY.

We had a blast.

I went to my first ever dueling piano bar full of funny people and fire fighters.

And when I tweeted I was there, a person I’ve followed forever on Twitter(and who is HILARIOUS) came down to introduce himself. It was fun for Jonathan because he usually doesn’t get to meet people in my world. Plus, I think he was just a little impressed that someone would drag themselves down to a club just to meet his wife.

It was just a great time.

I love being spontaneous. It can be one of the best things about me. (At times. ;P)

So there is my list. And if it fails then hey, I always have this:

Because, really?

It just makes me ridiculously happy.

And that is the whole point here, right?

I have been at this place and given myself this type of pep talk many times in my life. I am sure that I will likely continue to pick myself up and find the happy but then stumble, fall or be shoved back into the bit. I imagine I will have to pick myself up again and again and again through the years.

But to me, it is worth it.

Trying to find joy is worth it.

Big things or small, I’m grateful for what happiness I can get on this earth.

Even if it’s just a little bug that lights up the world for a moment.

Especially then.

:)

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