identify 100 things that make me happy.

Buying Coffee in a paper cup
There is something buying a cup of coffee that is very satisfying and I have been trying to understand my facination with it lately. When I was a child we had no money. So much so that I remember being terrified to ask for $2 for a school field trip when I was a child. Now, $2 really isn’t much money for me and I think it makes me feel like I am in control that I don’t have to care about the financial burden to my family to buy it. (Very ‘A Tree Grows in Brooklin”) I have been trying to make coffee at home this past month because this just seems so silly. All that has happened is that most days, I end up having two cups of coffee instead of my usual one. Yesterday, I bought a package of the cups that they use at the store. I am going to try using them to see if I can break the habit.

Massage Oil
My husband and I are away for a night and he brought the sensual massage oil. There is something just a little extra special about having sex when everyone is a little slippery. Really, the happy part is him thinking to bring it. He is incredibly thoughtful. I was so anxious to get out of our house, I barely remembered to pack for myself.

9. Warm clothes from the dryer feel great when it is chilly outside. The smell is wonderful too.
I have been thinking about this a little and think that is a moment when my mind feels completely safe and that I have a strong sense of home. I live a comfortable life in which I can afford simple pleasures like electricity and clean clothing. It probably seems silly but I like to hold onto these warm clothes for a moment and appreciate all that I have in my life.

10. Making Someone’s Day – I really enjoy making someone else’s day. A couple days ago I bought a cup of coffee for a couple who were visiting my town. They were strangers and I don’t know thier names but the circumstances were such that it made sense for me to buy them a cup of coffee. They couldn’t stop thanking me but what was more fun was when their friends finally showed up that they seemed so excited to share the story but not because they had gotten something or that I had even given them something. They were excited that the world still had nice people in it. I felt great that I could lift thier spirits and help to add a shade of pink to thier glasses.

8. I think that hanging out with my son is likely to be repeated in may forms. He and I are hanging out this morning by ourselves. I haven’t stopped laughing for the last couple minutes because he is copying everything that I am doing. He asked if he could play a game on the computer (nick.jr rocks) and I said hmmmm and put my finger to my lips and lifted my eyes in contemplation. He followed and did the same but when he noticed that he made me laugh he just froze himself into the pose saying hmmmm over and over again looking up and away with his beautiful eyes. It was hysterical…. I guess you had to be there.

7. It makes me happy (maybe more proud) that my German Shephard is so well trained that even though my 2 year old son takes forever to “help” serve his food practically kibble by kibble, he sits patiently waiting for his signal. For those of you have poor behaving dogs, it is not the dog that is the problem. It takes a lot of hard work (just like kids) but it is worth it.

5. Those few precious moments in life when you are with someone where both parties understand each other’s deepest feelings and dreams. When you are alone together having just shared your soul.

6. A cool fall day in New England when the leaves are at their peak color, floating along the river in my kayak listening to the sound of the paddles glide through the the water. (The peak has passed but this Sunday is supposed to be 60 degrees, Yippie!)

3. Flirting. It is so funny at work people try so hard to not flirt but there are times when everyone has just been working too hard to keep thier guard up anymore that they let thier guard down a little. Today has been one of those days and it has been a blast. I have been smiling all day.

4. Feeling sexy and knowing that the men around me are noticing. This is probably the same as flirting but without words. Like when I find myself distracted in a meeting, caressing my own neck, and then discover that some of the men have noticed and are smiling at me.

I need to take this one in stride. I tend to be so focused on getting to a goal like this that I forget to enjoy the journey. I want to take this slow and enjoy the thought of each one….

In no particular order:

1. Hearing my son sing to himself. In the brief moments of his life when he finds himself alone, my son has recently begun singing to himself. His voice is high and sweet and the word to the songs that he knows mingle together in new ways. He seems so content and blissfully unaware of the world outside of his space. I just want to bottle those moments up to share with him later when he takes on the stresses of the world.

2. When my son notices me watching him singing but doesn’t stop. He just bursts into a smile and keeps going about his activities without a care. As I continue to watch him sing, I am so thrilled that he feels comfortable enough around me to not change for my sake.