Is it better to burn brightly or not at all? I think so. That's why I try to beam my happiness to all and sundry every chance that I get.
I do it in person, I do it on the phone, I do it online. There's a lot of singeing taking place all around me, but without the smell of scorched hair, because, well, since I'm being metaphorical, that would just be silly.
What isn't silly is two of my lovely friends asking me to write about what makes me happy. Anne Tyler Lord and Estrella Azul both asked me to beam my happiness out to the world via a special Ten things that make me happy posting:
So, here goes:
1-Hugs. There is little better on this round rock we call Earth than having someone you love press their heart to your heart while enveloping you in the warmth and strength of their arms.
2-Spring. Those six letters really should be in all caps and italicized and made various pretty colors, but it still would not do the magic of the word justice. Spring is joy. Spring is new life. Spring is hope bursting forth from the ground and saying: "See? I survived. So can you. Be joyous. "
3-Creating something. A photograph, a story, a poem, a painting, a calm, loving, welcoming space to live in, a joyful moment in someone else's day. All of these things make me happy.
4-Dancing. I dance by myself all the time and I recently had the opportunity to find out if I remembered how to dance in public. Turns out that I did, and I'm going to do it again in a week or so. [in costume] Even the thought of that makes me happy.
5-Laughter. I love to laugh and I love to make other people laugh. Laughter is a great boost to your day and it keeps your energy flowing so you can function at a higher level. Mentally and spiritually. So if your boss catches you reading Miscellaneous Yammering when you should be working, just tell him that you're performing preventative health care. If he's smart, he'll nod sagely and leave you to it.
6-Moving water. Listening to The SOUND, watching the sparkle of the sun dancing off of the surface, absorbing the inherent peace water encapsulates. My favorite waterfall was overflowing with so much snowmelt a couple of days ago that I could feel the power of the stream roaring underneath me in my feet while standing on the bridge. It was all I could do to prevent myself from climbing down and standing in the crashing foam to soak up all that gorgeous energy.
7-Dragonflies, frogs and toads. Not necessarily in that order. Oh and butterflies, and praying mantis, and stick bugs and carpenter bees, and hummingbird moths, OH AND HUMMINGBIRDS!!!!! Hummingbirds, hummingbirds, hummingbirds. Did I mention hummingbirds?
8-Enthusiasm. I don't think that there's any feeling in the world that matches sharing something that you're passionate about with someone and having them meet your enthusiasm with their enthusiasm. Enthusiasm not only makes me happy, I find it extremely sexy. [just in case anyone's taking notes]
9-People who feed me. I love going into a restaurant and ordering what I want and actually HAVING SOMEONE BRING IT TO ME.
10-Someone else paying for the above ordered meal. I love a free meal-- what can I say? But I always sing for my supper by being sparkling company and I never, ever chew with my mouth open. I have been known to snort milk or the occasional shrimp out of my nose if my dinner companion is funny, but most people agree that particular little party trick only adds to the whole entertainment package. It's damn hard to snort a whole shrimp out of a nostril, but I always like to give my audience something above and beyond so they'll come back for more.
Speaking of which….here's a photo of a hummingbird moth. They're really really fast, so it made me extremely happy to be able to capture this little guy.
Photo copyright Karen Schindler
21 comments:
Am madly in love with that hummingbird moth! What a gorgeous little creature.
Once, I was vacationing in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and was taken to the home of a woman (called Bird Lady by everyone) who sat me in a chair and gave me a small bottle of sugar water to hold out.
Within seconds a Jamaican endemic hummingbird attached its little mouth to my bottle while flapping its wings too fast to see; you could only hear the buzzing.
Your happy list is very happy, indeed.
You drink milk at dinner? When someone takes you out and pays for it? So when they stare at you with affection, you stare back with a milk moustache.
You make me happy. :)
Marisa you make me happy too! So much, and every day. I'm a lucky girl to have so many beautiful women in my life.
The first time I saw a hummingbird moth I rubbed my eyes, went back over the events of the day in my mind...didn't remember taking any acid, and then just accepted that what I was seeing was real.
Oh, and I take laydlike sips to avoid the milk mustache.
Oh you joyful soul! I smiled and laughed so much while I read this. The hummingbird is amazing! You are such a vibrant person!!! I'm so glad I know you!!!
You have expressed such happiness through this writing that it is absolutely contagious. I wish we were all not so far from each other. Wouldn't it be a hoot if we could all go out to dinner together and snort milk out our noses laughing.
However, I'll pass on the milk and snort water.
I appreciate your brightness so much! But I now need to get out the sunglasses and put on SPF 70 when I read your posts, but it is worth it you great gal!
Oh my gosh honey, I think I'm in love with your list, it made me happy too! (I'll have to add that to my list) :)
Or just your name cause that would say it all!
And that's a gorgeous photo, well done! I know how difficult it is to capture something that's moving very fast, but in this photo I'd never even guess this little guy was moving.
What a happy, glorious, sparkly post. :) See, you've made me smile.
The photo is amazing! What a beautiful creature, like you, m'dear.
Please post a picture of the shrimp, post-snort. I'd pay to see that.
I've heard hummingbirds are aggressive. I think that just adds to their awesomeness. Like there's more to them than meets the eye, which is, as you know, very little. I love your happy list. I think you look much cuter with your milk mustache than I do with my wine-tinted silly grin, but if (when) we sit across from each other some day, I promise to be snortably funny.
...am busy writing notes, filing under "K"...
Nice post, a pleasant insight into she who is Karen. Great photo. We used to see the odd hawk moth in the yard when we lived in London, Ont.
[bonks head off desk, trying to shake image of crustacian protruding from nostril].
I love your list. What great things to make you happy. I love the enthusiasm one -- so much that I'm uncontrollably enthusiastic about your list in hopes that you can feel my enthusiasm.
Well Becky, if you had used ALL CAPS.....
and a few EXCLAMATION points it would have been quick and easy to feel your enthusiasm, but using the word three times in various ways gave me an inkling too....
Thanks for stopping in. I love what you've enthusiastically done with my hair. I feel extra special today. [must be the braids]
:0)
Alan, I just looked up "hawk moth" very cool!
Add little wriggling legs to your crustaceous/nasal image.
*waits a beat*
There. Isn't that EVEN BETTER?
Judy,
"snortably funny" ....hee hee hee.... one day we will break bread together my lovely. Let's see, where would the midpoint be between us?
*pulls up google map*
Looks like Tulsa would work.
Oh cool. We could wear cowboy boots to dinner.
Oh and by the way, you should be on my Makes me Happy list, but I just figured that people would assume it was implied...Karen loves Judy, [we know that] just like she loves sunsets and kitten noses.
Laura? The shrimp post snort would be clean as a whistle and none the worse for wear. So you can just toss one on the tablecloth the next time you're having dinner and get the visual that way.
But then you'll be wasting a perfectly good shrimp, because you couldn't eat it...it was just in my nose for heaven's sake.
You are one of my delights in life. I love you Ms. Eno. So happy Jon introduced us....see...there I go blubbering....
[Jon's evil plan is working]
Anne, I'm so bright you gotta wear shades!!! Yay, I'm so happy that the post delighted you since you and Estrella are such joys to me.
Great big hugs to you both for asking me to do this!!!
:0D <-------extra big smile
Now I'm going to the park to hug some trees....
Happy posts are good posts. I like your list. Hugs.
Uplifting. I think this is a healthy list. You've got a good outlook. I like to dance too but not in public. I could hurt someone....really.
That's funny GP, now I'm picturing you dancing like Elaine in Seinfeld.
I agree Carrie! *hugs back*
:0)
Snorting an occasional shrimp out your nose? Frankly that image, in and of itself, brings a smile to my face. Sounds a little painful for the snorter, though.
I agree with basically all of your sources of happiness. However the moving water one... that may sound beautiful and soothing, but mainly I tend to be overwhelmed with the urge to pee.
Cowboy hats, milk mustaches and snortable shrimp - sounds like an amazing dinner party!
A joyous read, Karen. Thanks for the smile you provide to my day.
And great photo too.
Awwww, nice of you to say. I'm happy that I made you smile Kevin.
:0)
You made me laugh Kris. I had that very same conversation with a massage therapist one day when we ended up in a room with a fountain that sounded less like soothing tinkly water and more like someone tinkling.....
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