Things that make me happy…

One day, I was kind of sad. So I took a walk on the beach. My beach. The beach that I have gone to since I was old enough to drive myself – to sort things out, to ponder, to run, to play.

Generally speaking, the beach is a good place to go when you’re sad. The sound of the waves and the feeling of the sand in your toes invites you to find something good in the world no matter how shi**y you feel.

As I walked along, I watched the little snowy plovers running in and out of the surf. They crack me up. They make me happy. So I got to thinking about how there are lots of  little things that make me happy. And as I thought about it, I decided I should make a list. Because why not?

Here’s my list:

• My children – especially when my children are laughing
• Pelicans diving
• Little daisies
• The ocean when it’s calm and the ocean when it’s stormy; the ocean in the daytime and the ocean at night
• The sound of babies cracking up
• Puppies
• Dogs!
• Sunsets
• The feeling of accomplishment after a long run
• Bubble baths
• Nature – its varied beauty
• Snowy Plovers
• Sleeping in
• Old people who don’t give a fu*k (like this lady)

• People who are kind to animals
• Elephants
• Uncrowded Disneyland
• True love
• New love
• Enduring Love
• My parent’s love
• Butterflies

• Good music
• A hot shower when it’s cold out
• Falling asleep while it’s raining
• Good books
• Kindness from strangers
• Old friends
• New friends
• True friends
• People who listen
• Fall! 
• Sunshine
• The Moon! Oh, the moon….
• My home
• Love…

And as I headed back home along the beach, watching the snowy plovers run in and out of the waves, with the sun setting behind me, I felt my sadness ebb a bit. Because, you know that list is just a teeny fraction of all the things that make me happy.  I felt lucky. I felt grateful. I felt like even though I don’t have everything I’m longing for, I have all of this plus more. 

I went home, not sad like I was when I set out. Because sometimes all you have to do to change your mood is make a list…