practice 'Happiness Manifesto' periodically

just pruning the list a bit. I’ve decided to omit the things that have become habits.

—afternoon naps with cool dreams
—latkes that someone else cooked
—the warmth of a lightweight wool shawl
—antidepressants
—Torah study with my beloved teacher
—meaningful work
—my Sweetie (always)

—good friends have invited us to Thanksgiving dinner. I made cranberry sauce and we’re taking Cat’s pumpkin pie, so I get to eat ALL my favorite things, with lovely company, and I am not the host.

—I am blessed with a lovely family, and good friends.

—I have a roof over my head, and work.

—I am out of school.

—Cat’s my sweetie. Life is good.

—The President Elect is Barack Obama.

—Shabbat, my day for connection, worship and family

—my Sweetie, who is funny and smart.

—my kids, who make me laugh and tear my hair.

—the warm spirit here on 43T, where people help each other

—the mentoring of a gifted rabbi

—the joy of a good book

I have a brother who is absolutely marvelous.

He’s the youngest, I’m the oldest.
His birthday is March 9, mine is the 10th.
He’s tall and muscular and bald, I’m none of those things.

But I love him.

Miracles are everywhere, if we only have eyes to see them.

1. For my sons, who each in his own way make me proud and happy.

2. For my Sweetie, whom I love no matter what our legal status is.

3. For a circle of family and friends upon whom I can depend for love and support.

4. For this 43Things community, which has made a rough time much, much easier.

5. For the fact that I’ve got a lot of fight and a lot of life left in me!

I am so happy with my work! It’s worth all the years in school and all the other costs to be doing this work that I love so much.

I’m also grateful for the fact that I’ve got a partner who values the work, and who understands what it means to me. I want to express that gratitude by making sure that I don’t abuse that understanding.

I’m HAPPY. (Also, at the moment, exhausted.)

—meaningful work
—a loving family
—our Shabbat domino game
—delicious summer stone fruit
—twitter.com
—“Two Strong Women,” the haulers who took away the remains of the water heater incident
—apparent “disasters” that turn out to be blessings
—old pictures of my kids
—Shabbat

—shade on a hot day (even when it is 95 in the shade!)
—refrigeration
—friends and family who actually ENJOY the heat and are cheerful
—a cold shower, however brief
—the approach of Shabbat
—my cookie-baking, Democratic Sweetie

1. Weeds to pull and a yard to pull them in. (Sweetie’s)

2. Sleepy Sunday afternoons.

3. My sons, one of whom is dozing on the couch as I write this.

4. Nordic Walking Poles! My arms are a bit sore from yesterday, not too sore, just exactly right!

5. Pizza, which we will be having tonight to celebrate the end of Passover. (CHOMETZ!)