Sunday 27 June 2010

On Being Happy

Sometimes I think I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

However, that didn't stop me from spilling cold tea all over myself just as I was formulating that sentence. The cup was fuller than I thought it was, you see.

Anyway. Sure I'm lucky. I live in New Zealand. People say we're not patriotic, but have you seen the proportion of locals wearing a touristy T-shirt? I say we just show it differently.

I get to sit here in my eagle's nest room, the main road traffic swinging around behind me, the ocean mostly visible ahead unless it's raining quite severely - it may be 5km to the beach as the crow flies, but it's near enough to catch the variations in the water's tone: icy green to deep turquoise to winter grey to bright green - and I get to work for my living at my own pace and whim, while also pursuing the author and publisher type passions.

It may be cold - the house is not insulated or heated - and often it may seem too silent, though thank goodness for my flatmates. There may be bugs and ants and stiff windows and doors and a scratchy phone line and a huge power bill in winter, but somehow none of that matters. I'm lucky to have it, yeah, and the mortgage too I guess, because not everyone can just walk in and get one.

Missing Dad is the thorn in my bliss. It's been nearly a year now. A year in heaven already. Wow. I hope he's enjoying it. My oldest friend is certain he'll be arguing theology with God. I wouldn't put it past him. Mum dreamed he'd been put in charge of a city up there. Oh yeah. That'll suit just fine.

I get to sit here. Write. Be at peace with the world. And dream of other places, real and imagined. So I'm happy. In my own way. In spite of the thorns of loss and past trauma. Nothing lasts forever, does it...

So what is it that makes you happy?

3 comments:

Maggie Woychik said...

Grace, thanks for posting this. I rejoice with you and grieve with you in your loss.

So glad heaven is an upcoming reality and we'll see one another there, on the other side.

~Maggie

Kristen Stieffel said...

Alas, I am a copy editor, so what makes me happy is fixing other people's mistakes. An arrogant calling, if there is such a thing.

A client recently said he felt as if he needed to repeat the third grade. I don't mean to make people feel that way. I just naturally enjoy ensuring parallel sentence structure...

Anonymous said...

Grace, remember what Boromir said to Faramir in the LOTR movies: "Remember this day; this day is good" (or words to that effect--guess I need to watch the movies again!).

Enjoy this day, even with its ache. Wow, I felt happier just reading your post, even with the empty place.