My mother has a large metal trunk somewhere in the basement. On all four sides as well as the lid, it is emblazoned with images of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang dancing, laughing, throwing the age-old football, and sitting at Lucy's infamous booth. Written all around the pictures is the repeated phrase, "Happiness is...Happiness is...Happiness is..." I loved that trunk as a child, but the words always bothered me. I found myself annoyed that the question was never resolved. "Happiness is what?!?" I'd ask myself over and over. I used to think if I only knew the answer to that question, everything would be solved: relationships, wars, what to wear the next day, everything!
As an adult, I still find myself trying to fill in the blanks from that old trunk. Happiness is...Happiness is...Happiness is...Isn't that what everyone's searching for? Whether we think we can buy, create, or eat happiness, it seems to be the goal for most of the population. A pursuit of too much happiness can be blamed for many issues today: obesity, debt, disease, alcoholism, wars, failed relationships...We think that if we buy just one more cute outfit, just one more helping of dessert, just one more drink, just one more new car, just one more new diet, all our problems will be over. We will achieve nirvana, peace, and perfection. Happiness is...Happiness is...Happiness is...
The theme of the Book of Ecclesiastes is that everything is "meaningless." I don't think all those "power of positive thinking" folks would be a fan of the Book of Ecclesiastes. It took me forever to realize that the writer of Ecclesiastes is not in need of depression medication. We shouldn't look on everything as "meaningless" in that it's no use to pursue dreams or passions or desires and find ourselves in a downward spiral of depression. We shouldn't look on life as a smorgasbord of human fun and "eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die" only to wake one morning and realize we've gained the whole world but lost our souls either. Happiness is...Happiness is...Happiness is...
What a carousel life is. We go round and round and round, thinking we're learning something, only to find ourselves right back where we started from. It makes me dizzy just to think about it. I'm sure it certainly makes God's head spin. "Oh, there she goes again, thinking she's the first one to discover/say/learn/tell/go/do that. Pursuing happiness but never obtaining it." Being a Christian does not equal a life of ease and constant happiness. In fact quite the opposite. What it does give is worth so much more. Peace. Joy. Purpose. Eternal Security. Freedom. I certainly won't be "inright, outright, upright, downright happy all the time," but at least I can take joy in and find happiness in so many small things that the world might find silly.
Happiness is...trying out a new recipe with Jon, for better or for worse. For better and we have a ball cooking, baking, frying, boiling, stewing, and eating a new-found favorite. For worse and we get Chinese takeout. How can we lose?
Happiness is...laughing with girlfriends over secrets, movies, inside jokes, and each other.
Happiness is...stepping on that scale and seeing the numbers go down, but knowing that those numbers do not define me or who I am or what others think of me.
Happiness is...going through photo albums and smiling, laughing, and crying over memories, good and bad.
Happiness is...going fishing.
Happiness is...playing Rock Band.
Happiness is...teaching piano to someone who never thought they could succeed and watching them blossom.
Happiness is...writing.
Happiness is...taking a walk - at sunset and watching the sky turn pink, at dusk when the fireflies are twinkling, at break of dawn when the sun is rising and the world is still waking up.
Happiness is...reading a great book.
Happiness is...succeeding at something you never thought possible and the feeling of accomplishment it brings.
Happiness is...watching children smile, play, and laugh.
Happiness is...watching a thunderstorm and being safe and warm and dry inside.
Happiness is...helping someone else.
Happiness is...petting my cats and seeing the love they show me with abandon.
Happiness is...listening to a great piece of music.
Happiness is...sitting with my husband, talking, laughing, reading, or just sitting in companionable silence.
Happiness is...knowing that this life is not the end, knowing that the carousel does stop, knowing that the greatest joy truly is in the simplest things, and knowing that no one can take my joy away.
