It happened after yoga one night. The April air was crisp as we hadn’t fully settled into spring. My family waited for me at home, dinner on the table. My eyes filled with tears of contentment. I had come through years of debilitating anxiety and was fortunate to be alive.
Average Yogini
So here are my picks to the prompt: Tell me about a moment when you were happy, so happy you could hardly see straight. You couldn’t have been happier if you’d won the Lottery. Go ahead and visit one another, make friends. Enjoy.
————————
Tough choice: Is it the day I completed a 10,000-mile bicycle ride and met Peggy; or the night California voters approved an effort I had initiated to reduce tobacco use? One led to happiness; the other has saved an estimated one million lives. I’ll go with love.
Wandering Through Time and Place
One year sober last month, I got to meet eight other ladies who had become friends via the sober blogs and communities. Sunshine, tea and cake, good conversation with great people who made me feel heard and understood. I didn’t feel like a freak anymore.
It was my husband’s birthday. We were hoping and praying for a celebration. We waited in the surgeon’s office for my pathology report on the breast cancer. I scanned the mumbo jumbo of the lab summary for any sign of good news.
Relief and profound gratitude. Healing had begun.
I awoke to a machete death just outside the Nicaraguan church. It rattled me. Where was God? Under a lone tree someone sang and then another.
I had come cynical and empty. But with the gift of song came a rush of assurance. God was here.
“What a big penis!” We were stunned. Our practitioners had all guessed a girl. But it was his heartbeat, strong on the screen. Our boy actually drew a smile as we watched. I had longed to give my husband a son. I was wild with joy.
Happiness is climbing a tree, catching a firefly, setting him free.
Happiness is playing the drum in your own school band.
And happiness is walking hand in hand.
Happiness is being alone every now and then.
For happiness is anyone and anything at all
That’s loved by you.
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
A Holistic Journey 
Hard to compete with a big penis. –Curt
ROAR!!!!!!! Feels awfully inappropriate asking you to try.
te-he.
Actually, it’s not about competition. At least, that’s what they tell self-conscious teenagers about their body.
*chuckle*
I lost to a big penis….again.
LMAO. The words even LOOK weird. LOL.
When my twenty year old daughter’s breast biopsy came back negative – so happy I could burst. I’d forgotten that drama until reading your post. Thank you. Going through unhappy things right now and I need to remember the other stuff.
Oh, thanks for sharing that with us! Precious.
So glad your daughter was in the clear! That’s the best news possible. The second best is for the cancer to be caught early as it was in my case. You are right, we are to be thankful for what we have and for the times that we felt God’s protection.
sterling response to prompt! I have been missing posts by you. Did you take a break or just fall off my reader?? Well glad to find this one!
Someone else thought she lost me on the Reader, too. I wasn’t able to post for about 2 wks, thigh-deep in the homeschool.
Been thinking of you, S. Looking fwd to my visit – when I can catch my breath.
Xxx
This post made me smile and laugh. It’s nice to read about what makes other people happy. I’m glad you’re back. 🙂
There was no place for me to leave a comment on your board the last time I visited, Y. Been thinking of you. I hope you and your daughter are above water. =) Thanks so much for the sweet feedback. I’m sure the others are glad for it.
Xxxx
Diana
I disable some of the posts according to how I feel. I’m some better now. You can always comment on the ABOUT if you so choose and I will reply. The comments are now back on but you are not obligated to comment just because I do on one of your posts.
“We” are both some better. I now have a pacemaker and still not up to par but better in some ways. Thanks for your concern, Diana.
“I disable some of the posts according to how I feel.”
I knew that. =) Wow, a pacemaker. Oh, take it easy, my friend.
Amazing what can be said in so few words! Thanks for the challenge.
Yeah, the FEW words were the challenge. =) Hey Deb, feel free to get back to b4thirty who seemed to appreciate your contribution.
Friend, that post took my breath away. Those moments you describe were so much more; I wish we had a bigger word than happy. Thank you for a very stirring read.
Awww…..thAnks. Actually, the likes weren’t coming in as fast as on the other posts so I thought folks weren’t keen on this, of all posts! (Confusing!) So appreciate your taking a moment to let us know how you received this.
Xxx
Yeah, the big penis really got my attention. Just goes to show my mind is definitely in the gutter :))
Love,
E
LMAO. Well, looks like yours wasn’t the only one there.
lol….
(A little weird. This is the first time I’ve said that word here. And people keep echoing it.)
E, I thought of you (on success and failure) when I came across this quote by Kellie. She commented a few notches down under this post It’s Happy Hour. It’s from a recent post of hers on dreams:
“I love the quote by Thomas Edison who created the light bulb when he was asked why he kept trying even though he had failed 1,000 times:
“I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”
Thank you for what proved to be a truly inspirational challenge.
As an aside, you probably didn’t realize this but with this post you brought together an American who had a meaningful moment in Nicaragua, and a Nicaraguan (me) who had a meaningful moment in America.
I’ll be visiting all these blogs, but I think the author of Middlemay Books and I need to have a chat!
Getting chills!! Wow, Nic-gua U.S.
!!
Yep…go for it…love it when people become friends here.
This is so much fun. Waking up to a new friend 🙂 Thanks, Diana! People really do respond to penises! I’ll be keeping that in mind for tagging purposes.
LOL Er…I didn’t tag that. Maybe I shoulda.
Chk out J. Gi. F’s comment on your piece.
LOVED this post, Diana, and thanks for the smiles, chuckles and sighs of relief…hugs to you!
I sure appreciate those who participated, many more whose piece didn’t see light here. The formatting alone ended up being a lot of work. I appreciate the feedback, L!
And hugs back.
Thanks so much for sharing these. What a joy!
=) Well, we’re thankful for those who’ve received them!
Oh, wow, I didn’t know about the cancer scare. Good thing it was a negative.
“I awoke to a machete death just outside the Nicaraguan church.” Not sure what you meant by this, if it’s figurative or literal. That said, I’m glad things went the okay route.
Interesting… your interpretation. I wrote about the cancer scare posted here on Diana’s blog. and yes, the cancer diagnosis was scary. The happy came in when I found out the cancer was caught early. I remember looking at my husband and remarking, “This is as good as it gets for being cancer.” Ironic that we can still find happy while going through cancer, but it is at a different location on the happiness spectrum. As for the machete death, I took it as literal. Hopefully, the author of that part will pipe in! 🙂
Oops, sorry! My mind just automatically assumed that every thing mentioned here was Diana’s own story. I now realize my mistake. That said, I’m still glad to know the outcome. I understand what you were/are going through although I have not gone through any cancer experience, not me nor any one close to me. But illness, yes, I experienced that with my parents. Also, years back, I worked for a magazine focused on cancer and met a lot of survivors, even kid survivors.
A few posts back here in Diana’s blog, one shared his experience with his twin brother and I mentioned that support is the most important hing for survivors. I do hope that aside from family support, you have also joined a support group. The most number of BRCA survivors have the most number of support groups in the world. Do keep strong and positive. That helps a lot. Will pray for you and your family.
EDIT: I meant that BRCA survicors have the most number of support groups…
Yep, different writers. The machete death actually happened–a fight over drug territory.
Thanks for the kind words J.Gi Federizo. I found that support was precious to fill in the gaps when I was too tired or too grumpy to do what I needed to do! Middlemay Farm, I figured it was literal. Wow… now that’s a beautiful example of finding unexpected peace in a horrific situation.
Yipes….I really tried not to think of it….It is good to still have you here with us. Wow, you must have been really tough!
I totally agree that ‘happiness is anyone and anything at all’. Thank you for sharing these.
I remembered this song which my class had sung in our 5th grade play. =) Had to include.
Thanks for being here, K.
Xx
Diana
Now, seriously – did ya think I could pass up a post with an opening like that? No way! 😀
Diana, thank you for sharing these little bits and pieces that were humorous, thought-provoking and moving. ❤
Ha ha ha ha. Several readers couldn’t help but comment on the big….p. LOL.
Appreciate walking with you, Kate.
Love,
Diana
I would not have the courage to say the word in any setting, but I might have used something like “boy parts.” As a first time mother, I remember being shocked at the sight of what I would have to clean every time our son needed a diaper change.
After living abroad for so many years, I now understand why having a boy is so important. Families and medical personnel actually kill little girls where I am.
Yeah, you’re actually opening up new posts. =) (Go right ahead!) As you might have known, sons are favored in the Korean culture. This came up in the comments on the Rockabye Hope guest post. But it was more personal than cultural for me. My husband had had a particularly difficult childhood such that being able to enjoy a son would’ve been a special blessing.
Filipinos are big on Korean soaps now, even K-Pop. I honestly am not much of a fan, but I do watch some Koreanovelas (what we dubbed the soaps). We have seen a lot already to get a lot of the Korean culture, especially when it comes to family.
*chuckle* I knew Korean drama was big all across Asia. You know more about Korean culture than I do, now. =)
Personally, I highly doubt it. But that is possibly true of K-Pop and Koreanovela fanatics.
Hmm. Hard to pick between marriage and the birth of my children.
*Smile* Good thing you don’t have to. =)
What a lot of fun this is! “Happy Hour” = brilliant. Thank you, Diana!
So sweet.
Reblogged this on Nothing Gilded, Nothing Gained–Books & Writing at Middlemay Farm and commented:
After yesterday’s walk through the miry clay of eugenics I thought you all might enjoy a happy hour post about–HAPPINESS!
Reblogged this on A hangover free life and commented:
Tell me about a moment when you were happy, so happy you could hardly see straight. You couldn’t have been happier if you’d won the Lottery. I emailed Diana about the joy of meeting other sober ladies in real life. I was as happy as I’d imagine I would be if I won the lottery 🙂 Here it is:
Thanks Diana for sharing my words – Lucy @ ahangoverfreelife 🙂
I wouldn’t have had anything to share if you hadn’t provided. =)
Pingback: It’s Happy Hour - A hangover free life
“Happiness is playing the drum in your own school band”. Wow, and we go through life thinking that happiness is being the best drummer in the world with fame and money…
LoVe your angle.
writenalive has a good point Diana – happiness can be very personal and actually be over the small stuff as well as being public and the big stuff. The happy moments you bring to our attention in your, as usual, very good post, are excellent choices. Sometimes happiness can also be as simple as eating a favorite meal, or a child walking for the first time. I have had a few biggies in my life – like being declared cancer-free after a long bout with the disease or finally getting the funding to start a new business that I had been trying to establish for some time. And I have had many that were very small and personal, like seeing the end of a life threatening storm and still living to talk about it or a special meal that i wasn’t expecting. My guess is that it is relative to the individual (much like the theory of relativity) and because we all share some qualities, some happiness is common amongst us all.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post Diana – and welcome back! 🙂
I happened not to include the submission that echoed your sentiments. =) Thanks for the lovely mosaic of your own moments, Paul.
Pingback: My Happy, Happy, Happy! | Snowdrops for faith
Wow, I go away for a little while and you turn all NSFW! Haha!
I’m happiest when there isn’t anything I HAVE to do but smile. Those days are few and far between.
Why am I not safe??! =)
Great description of happy…..
Ohhh….the body part I named…..
A joyful post, this made me smile.
Was the point! Thx for letting me know.
A month ago I was getting the mail. I live in a small town and as I was walking by the hair stylist shop, a sweet little girl named Gracie was upset that people didn’t like her sidewalk art. Her mom was saying, “No Honey, people like it I promise.” Well, I stopped and told Gracie that I liked it. I then showed her a picture I had taken a few days before and told her how I’d made it my Facebook cover photo. I then showed it to her on my phone. It was captioned, “Art by Gracie”. The smile on her little face just made me melt. It was a short moment but made me feel truly joyful!
Dang it, that’s awesome. You made ALL the difference to Gracie. Gave her wings, showed her it doesn’t take much to fly.
Thanks for sharing. PRECIOUS!