“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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