Simply happy

A couple of nights ago, I had a terrible nightmare -- my Dad was stuck in hell.  How could that be?  Especially since I've had so many delightful dreams of Dad dressed in white encouraging everyone to ride the rollercoaster or standing peacefully next to a unicorn.  It felt like a decade before I struggled to wake myself up at 3am and convince myself that Dad wasn't in hell. When I shared my scare with A., he said I must be stressed out about the adoption process and not having heard any recent updates about our ICAB approval.   Perhaps the image of Dad's misery in Hades was also just my recollection of that summer . . . before he died.   


Dad was so much a part of our family . . . we're in waiting to expand ours . . . sure, it can be stressful.  Sometimes I lose focus on the now, which certainly doesn't need to be maddening.  Now can be happy.


Running at the gym this morning, I watched an interview with Dr. Ian Smith, author of happy, who mentioned three important elements of being happy:
1.  Meaningfulness . . . Not a fan of materialism, I have a job which may not include the wealthiest of salaries, but I have played a role in bringing in $255K into a nonprofit that serves families and children in need.
2.  Pleasure . . . Simple pleasures like my homemade iced coffee with non-alcoholic Bailey's creamer (while working from home) . . . and as little negative energy as possible.
3.  Engagement . . . 100% presence is important whether it's my Wednesday dinners with my Mom, a meeting to set tasks for an upcoming RFP deadline or simply being with my Dad at the Keyport Pier.


Most folks spend an entire lifetime searching for happiness.  Hopefully they don't have to experience a traumatic situation like an illness/death, divorce or job loss to learn that happy is simply making the most out of life . . . right now.

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we wonder,

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you wander the grounds of your orphanage,

what do you wish?