Am I Blessed, Or What?

I have been thinking a lot about happiness.

And why I am.  Happy.

I think about it a lot, because my youngest son thinks I'm a sap. Apparently, his simple life as a sophomore in high school is full of unhappy things.  Like schoolwork.  And people who want him to obey the rules that everyone else follows (like for cell phone use at school). He walks around some days under a little black cloud that he doesn't seem to want to get rid of.  And I wish I could help him count his blessings...which are many.

He has parents who love him, feed him, and clothe him.
He has a warm, safe home with a big room of his own.
He has mostly every electronic device a kid could ask for.
He is healthy and attractive.
He goes to a good, albeit small, school.
He is surrounded everyday by the beauty of God's Country.

And yet, he doesn't  know that he is blessed. It's a big project, his life, that Bob and I have been working on for a lot of years. And I guess I will know that my work is done when he realizes that he has a lot to be happy about. Especially that he has a very sappy mother who loves him more, I think, than he can realize just now in his life. I have faith he will get it, though. Because he has a lovely soul, and I can see that even from under the little black cloud.

So.  Happiness.

Something I tend to say (A LOT) is: "That makes me so happy!"

So silly.  "THAT" doesn't make me happy.  I do. It would be more accurate to say, "I make me so happy!" Which sounds even sillier, even if it is true. The truth, as I know it, is that my ability to see, find, and experience happiness is a gift of grace from God. It's what I believe in my heart to be an absolute truth in all the world.

So. I choose happiness.  And joy.

There is one more thing...that might make my sappiness sound a little more well informed. God gives me the grace to find happiness in RIGHT things. Free will gives me the ability to twist that around and perhaps find happiness in things that aren't right. It's something big to think about. And I do. A LOT.

You know, when I first thought about the subject for this post, I didn't want it to turn out heavy at all. I often have a very child-like way of looking at things, which isn't all bad. Especially because I think that God pushes me in that direction, especially when I am stressed or sad about something. God stands close by and nudges me, or whispers in my ear, or shouts at me, or blinds me with something so blatantly JOYFUL that I can't ignore it.  And He knows what I like. So many of those nudges, shouts, and flashes of proverbial lightning are nature at its finest. I can't show you a couple of really good ones from this morning, because I was driving and couldn't stop to take a picture. Maybe I can describe a little.

I walked outside to get in my car to come to work this morning and two things struck me. Across the street, the willow trees, which are a beautiful gold color right now, were covered with a light layer of snow and frost.  It was like you had a golden crown and encrusted it with diamond bits.  Who thinks of things like this? God, apparently. Then, looking to my right as I got in my car, were three deer, which I DID get a picture of. I never get tired of looking at them, and this morning, they didn't get tired of staring at me, either.

big furry lawn ornaments

I drive through at least three distinct weather zones on my way to work, mostly because of changes of altitude, and a big LAKE, which throws all the weather rules out the window every day.

yesterday's weather was sunny and chilly, with a light wind

When I got to the Military Bridge, there was almost no snow, but as I looked up at the top of the hills by Rockland, the same snow and frost covered the trees at the top.  It was so strikingly beautiful, and I know that by now, it's completely gone.

I almost got to work when I spotted a puddle of water in a field, filled beyond capacity by a daggle (it's a thing, really) of Mallards, which quickly became a flush, and then a flock, meaning THEY FLEW AWAY FROM ME as fast as their little wings could flap. I had pulled off the road a little to take their pic...complete failure that...when I heard SANDHILL CRANES.  They were right behind a big pile of STUFF in the field, which might have been hay, or else something not as nice as hay.

singing

Whatever it was, they were paying no attention to me whatsoever because they were IN LOVE.

more singing

fancy synchronized steps

And by in love, I mean posturing and singing (if you can call it that...remember the seagull from The Little Mermaid movie?) and finally DANCING.

 I was able to catch some of it but not a lot, because, like I said, I had pulled off the road A LITTLE and there were cars going by wondering either what the heck I was photographing, or nearly stopping, as the locals do so nicely, to find out if my car and I were okay.

Click here for beautiful dancing and beautiful (if you're a crane) singing!


Anyway, did I mention happiness?  And JOY?

Because this was my nudge/whisper/shout/flash moment for today.

Did I mention that I feel blessed?

I AM blessed.  Unapologetically so.

I hope you look for your nudge today.

Life is good.  Every day.

Amen