Are You Happy?

“Are you happy?” He asked as he walked past me on his way to another meeting.  Normally, the question is, “Hi, how are you?”

“Sure”.  I smiled. Surprised, “sure.”  And he was out the door.

Yet, the question remained and I’m still pondering, “Am I happy?”   Perhaps, that was his point.  Take time to ponder this a bit. What does it mean to be happy?  To live happy?

I don’t feel happy many days.  I wake in the morning anxious about current events with news reports of political discord and mean-spirited actions, threats, attacks of others and greed. I’m not happy when my body aches and my joints hurt with growing arthritis.  Nor am I happy with the difficult work of maintaining an even weight when just looking at ice cream puts pounds on my hips.

I’m not happy when I have an occasional discord with the man I love as we grow a relationship within two different world views and a common value of integrity and respect.

I’m not happy when I hear stories of racism and sexism and feel helpless to act when I long to make a difference.

And yet I have glimpses of great delight and joy.

Indeed I’m happy when the grandchildren see me and their eyes light up as they come running to me crying, “gramma.”

I thoroughly know happiness with a glass of good wine and an engaging conversation with a loving friend.

I love good food. A sunset. A walk on the beach.  The sounds of the ocean. Many things make me happy.

I know happiness in my being when the man I love looks at me through eyes of admiration and gently touches me.

I delight in laughter, a good novel, a thought-provoking movie, soothing music or a quiet walk.  These things bring happiness to my soul.

But, would I define myself as happy?  Probably not.  I am content, mostly.  I know joy, often.  I am grateful for a life well lived, growing friends and the challenges I have been able to meet along the way.

I am intrigued to explore the meaning of life.

I am blessed, thoroughly and profoundly blessed. But happy, deeply happy?  I don’t think so.

I’m not ready to make this question my greeting as I meet someone on the sidewalk.  But I do find it one to ponder. What about you?   What a wonderful question to begin a conversation over a shared bottle of wine.  “Are you happy?”

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