What makes me happy...

Sitting in my office this morning, I suddenly had inspiration.  I started making a list of the things that make me happy. 

1. Cuddling with my puppy while he takes a nap.
2. Curling up with a blanket and a good book on a snowy day while a fire roars in the fireplace.
3. Staying in and baking on snowy days.
4. Stepping on the scales to find that I’ve lost weight and I wasn’t even trying.
5. The sounds of the house on Christmas morning as my daughter open her presents.
6. Spending time with good friends and family.
7. Opening the windows on a rainy day to listen to the sound of the rain hitting the porch.
8. Telling a joke and having people laugh uproariously.
9. Writing in my blog.
10. Doing my job and doing it well.
11. Doing something nice for someone just because.
12. Getting text messages.
13. Finding extra money in a coat pocket.
14. Shoe shopping.
15. Pampering myself with manicures, pedicures, or hair coloring.

Since getting my puppy, I look forward to the mornings when I can pull him out of his kennel and cuddle.  The mornings are when he is most loving.  This morning he crawled into the crook of my arm, laid down, and went to sleep.  There is nothing like unconditional love and trust to make me happy. 

Snow days are always days I want to stay home and stay warm.  Curling up with a blanket and reading was something I did at my Grandmothers as a kid especially when I had to stay home sick.  The baking in the winter was something she did too.  As a kid, food was a HUGE comfort.  Warm banana bread and a glass of milk were the best.  Those were happy times. 

“Stepping on the scales to find that I’ve lost weight and I wasn’t even trying.”  Having always had a weight problem (except for briefly in my 20’s), I find no greater happiness than to see the scale move to a lesser value.  In the past week, I’ve dropped 10 pounds without even trying.  Of course, it could have had something to do with the fact that I couldn’t swallow past the lump in my throat, but I’ll take my small victory. 

Some would find it odd that text messages make me happy.  For me, getting a text message is such a surprise that it’s almost like receiving a gift.  The office where I work doesn’t allow personal phone calls which mean that staying in touch with family and friends is difficult and limited.  When I receive a text, I feel loved, thought about, and included.  It’s the best feeling.  Unfortunately, since my breakup, I rarely get them anymore which make the ones I do get even more special. 

In the next few months, I am hoping to find more things that make me happy.  The recreation center in town offers a watercolor class.  I’ve always wanted to learn how to paint in watercolor.  I’m looking into going back to college to get my masters degree though I still have some reservations about it.  School is where I have always excelled and I know it would make me happy.  However, I am unsure about committing the time right now.  I don’t want to feel like I am hiding away from the world when I should be enjoying it and healing. 

Only time will tell…