serendipity.six

It is well to have as many holds upon happiness as possible. – Northanger Abbey

We all know the world is an awful place. It doesn’t take much to tell us this. Just turn on the TV. Flip through the channels a couple of times. It’s everywhere. Ugly. Sad. Lonely. Scary.

I asked Hailey the other day what she wanted to be when she grows up. This changes on the daily – I was expecting an answer like – a teacher, veterinarian, doctor… but this time I got something different. “I just wanna be happy,” she says plainly. Happy. How does one “be” happy?

I may be naïve – but I think one almost has to be naïve in order to be happy. I have to believe that everyone has the opportunity to “be” happy. For some, happiness seems to come easy. For others, happiness seems downright impossible. Not only that – it seems to come in waves. One can’t ALWAYS be happy – happiness comes for a season, and in a flash can seem to disappear.

That’s when we need to go find it. We need to find it, and when you do – grab hold and don’t let go. For some happiness comes with a positive pregnancy test, a negative cancer scan for others. It could be staring you in the face on your wedding day, or hiding like a needle in the haystack.

Don’t stop searching for that needle. It’s never going to be exactly where you expect or look exactly the way you expect it to look. But once you find one needle, it makes finding the next one easier. And once you have a hold on two needles… you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can find that third.

Happiness is there – it has to be there. No, it’s not as easy to find on the television… but it’s there. Underneath the ugly. It’s there. It has to be. I have too much to lose for it not to be there.

Here are a few of my holds upon happiness: the holds I’m so afraid to lose…