Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the subject of happiness. I guess because it seems to be popping up all around me. And, frankly, it is not something that I give much deliberate thought to. Sure, I have moments where I am happy and recognize it, but I don’t ponder very often on my state of happiness.
Heavenly Father’s plan is referred to as the “Plan of Happiness”. So, it is to say that he designed this plan with our happiness in mind. He desires that we are happy in this life. But, sometimes, the weight of the world, trials, personal struggles, etc. will impede us from recognizing the little moments that make up a truly happy life.
For me, as a stay at home mom, it is easy for me to get stuck in the mindset of laundry, and the tedious day to day tasks that make up my life. instead of feeling happy most of the time, I feel bogged down by my responsibilities. Yet, I look at this stage in my life and realize that it is a fleeting moment. It will not last forever. I worry that I will look back at all my pictures of my smiling babies and think, “Did I really enjoy that?”
For me, I have been trying to focus my efforts on recognizing happy moments in my day. When one of my kids squeals with delight as he runs through a neighbor’s sprinkler, I try to truly soak up that joy with him. I try to focus on his smile. His happiness. And, be happy with him.
If my daughter is sharing her excitement over a drawing she has done, I love to share that excitement too. Most of the time, I’m busy doing something, but lately, I have tried to stop what I’m doing and really engage. I have tried to be excited with her too.
And, my sweet baby boy. Each milestone is precious. He has started trying to talk. Our reactions and excitement to every milestone he reaches make his day.
I believe that we are meant to be happy in this life, but I also believe that it may take a conscious effort on our part to recognize happy moments in the day to day. Because they are fleeting, we just might miss them.
I don’t want to look back on the childhood of my children and think, “I didn’t participate enough in their childhood.” or “I didn’t truly engage”. Instead, I want to look back and think to myself, that was an exhausting, but fun, HAPPY, wild ride.
*Photo courtesy of morguefile.com