Mission To Be Happy

Yesterday was a fun and happy day. I did everything I needed to do, things I wanted to do, and a little extra thrown in for good measure. I even had a "light bulb" moment. Wow! What a full day.

After getting ready for the day and taking my dad to breakfast I decided to spend the day going to the Quilter's Shop Hop. I knew I wouldn't go to all the stores since they go as far out as Tooele but I thought I could hit a few at least this first time going. I made it to 3 before I was spent out! It was so fun to see what the stores had and the displays of various quilts to ooh and aah over. The third and last quilt shop I went to was Mormon Handicraft. Nothing there I wanted but on the same floor of the store was the Repartee Gallery. Silly me decided to wander around and admire pretty pictures I could never afford. Found a beautiful one of angels for over $1000.00 and then . . . right next to it a lovely abstract Mother and Child. And I could afford it! SO I bought it!! Then went home and hung it up where I can look at it a lot!!! I love it!!!! (Too many exclamation points?) Anyway, after that I cut the grass, did a bit of weeding and watering and just felt good about my day. I had bought some quilting "stuff" but the highlight was the serendipitous discovery of the painting and my impulsive purchase.

So pleased with myself that I put in another 3 hours of yard work today after walking 3 miles and still felt the pleasure of yesterday when I came in and saw my picture on the wall. How easily I am pleased some days. LOL

I stole the title for this post from Michael McLean and his M2B:) book, blog, and CD. I am trying to consciously be in the present, enjoy it and be happy. I lean toward negativity and pessimism I think, so I was overflowing yesterday with Happy.

Don't we all need days like that now and again where there is just so much happy?

Graduation

On the national news today they were showing pictures of commencement speakers at various colleges across the U.S., talking with the graduates, and showing pictures of graduates and their friends and families congratulating each other. That brought me back to my graduations and that of my children who have graduated from high school and college. When I graduated from high school it was a three day event. I don't even remember why but I think we had a big senior dinner with parents one night in the high school cafeteria. It was a bit better than it sounds since we had only been in the high school six months and it was catered. The next night was convocation where we had boring speakers and a great choir presentation. The third night was graduation in the gym. The student speakers were heard here and then our names were read and we "walked." I remember my parents and my aunt and uncle where there and my aunt made me laugh on my way to my seat as we all walked into the gym. When my children graduated from high school we tried to make sure the whole family was in attendance also. Kurt even flew in from California for Alex's and maybe even Courtney's but I can't remember. He was still living here in town when Ryan graduated so it was no problem. Beth took her GED in California so there was no graduation to attend. All in all I think it was fun and successful for all.

Then came college. I don't think I really believed I was smart enough to graduate from college and if a dear friend hadn't almost forced me to take my senior seminar test I probably wouldn't have. Anyway, I didn't want to rent a cap and gown and do the procession but at that time you couldn't get your diploma at BYU unless you walked in the procession. That fact alone delayed my graduation by at least a year. Then I actually saw one on campus and it was rather moving so I felt okay with the whole process. Anyway, I rented my cap and gown and drove down to Provo from SLC, where I was working, for my graduation. All my friends had already graduated in the preceding years and were off working and my family didn't feel it was worth a trip to Utah so I went alone. I didn't think it would bother me until we were in the procession and I had no one to wave to or who was cheering my accomplishment. It was much worse after the ceremony. Everyone was being hugged and pictures were taken and I skulked away, got into my car and drove back to SLC. Alone. Therefore, when Ryan was graduating from college I wanted to attend. But he was allowed by the U of U to get his degree without walking through the ceremony. So I wasn't there to support him. So, the point of all this is that the graduations from college of my son and I were not as pictured on television and it still makes me a bit sad. And nostalgic for what might have been.

Getting Older

1. We are all growing older with each passing day. When young I knew many who were upset as they neared or achieved the "dreaded" decade birthdays starting with number thirty. Those birthdays never bothered me but I thought number fifty might. Nope! It didn't bother me either. Then I reached sixty and it took me three years to adjust. I have been trying to figure out why for the past seven years. I finally think I have found it. With sixty I decided I WAS old. My hair was white, my body was over weight and flabby, my energy was markedly down and my enthusiasm for life seemed limited. However, the last few months I have noticed that I am no longer upset with being old. I am accepting that I will never again be as I was and I appreciate that I am as healthy and active as I am. Many of my friends and former relatives are younger than I and are doing much poorer in the aging process. They have had parts repaired and replaced, are suffering the same physical declines, and are looking and feeling much worse than I. For all this I thank my genes and the few efforts I have been putting into creating a healthier environment for myself.

2. Another thing I noticed is that I try to live in the here and now. I had lunch with a friend from high school yesterday and as we talked all she seemed to want to talk about were her children and grandchildren. Now I have no trouble with that but other than health problems she had done nothing but work for the last thirty plus years and had no plans or goals for the future she could focus on. Her children were doing things and she was not, so the past and their lives were all we had to chat about. My dad goes to breakfast each morning and watches tv the rest of the day so all he has to talk about is the past. I understand that as he is 88 and has mobility issues, but not at 67. I seldom want to talk about the past and writing a personal history is totally out of the cards. Give me the present and plans and goals for the future to talk about. When I am in my 90s maybe I will have no future to look forward to but not at this stage in life.

3. Old age seems to be a leveling out time. We all get unattractive, physically limited in one way or another, and slow down mentally. We no longer compete with others in accomplishments. We do what we do and are happy for that. I feel like I can't go into debt because I won't be able to get a job to pay the debt so I am happy for what I already have rather than wanting more. I have never been one to "compete with the Joneses" but tried to have my kids be somewhat comparable to others in their social group. Now I don't even have to do that. I am responsible for only me. That feels kind of good. I am happier in general now than I have been for at least the last ten years. I don't look back much further than that.