I love my last name. When David and I married on a glorious North Dakota summer day in July of 1991, I embraced it!
I've owned cherry t-shirts, cherry socks, cherry purses and cherry pajamas. Sometimes I wonder if God gave us two boys because he didn't want to subject a sweet little girl to all the cherry outfits we would have made her wear.
We have a colorful collection of cherry tea pots, cookie jars and plates decorating our kitchen. And when I saw this artwork at Garden Ridge, I had to have it! David hung it up that night in our half bath right off the kitchen. (What a great man!) The two giant cherries make me smile. It also has a little saying on it that has been fun to ponder. And what more perfect place for a little ponderin?
We Tend To Seek Happiness
When Happiness is Actually A Choice
I'll be honest, when I first sat and pondered, I interpreted it to say that we pursue happiness in an environment that is life-giving and hopeful, when we perceive happiness as an option for us. While I think that is most likely true, I decided yesterday that it is saying something entirely different. How could I have missed it? Most of you are probably saying...duh girlfriend! What it is saying to me now is, I'm sure, what the artist meant for it to say: that we spend time, we spend money, we spend energy reaching for an elusive place called "Happy" when all along the only thing we need to spend is our will. (Click to Tweet) Happiness is a choice!
Ha! That reminds me of a little song I learned in college...."Happy, Happy, Happiness is a choice and I chose to be Happy, Happy as I can be. I chose to Happy. I'm Happy. I'm free. I chose to be Happy so I can be me." Whoa that is a flash from the past! Thank you Cheryl Prewitt Salem for that lovely little tune.
So what do you think? Is happiness a choice of our will?
Ha! That reminds me of a little song I learned in college...."Happy, Happy, Happiness is a choice and I chose to be Happy, Happy as I can be. I chose to Happy. I'm Happy. I'm free. I chose to be Happy so I can be me." Whoa that is a flash from the past! Thank you Cheryl Prewitt Salem for that lovely little tune.
So what do you think? Is happiness a choice of our will?
5 comments:
This is so cute Lynn! Love the Cherry stories! I think 99% of the time hapiness (which isn't always a ha ha ho ho hee hee kind!!) is a choice and starts with counting our blessings HOWEVER I know there has been at least one very darrk season in my life that no matter how hard I might have tried there was just no happiness for me to chose from!!! But in everyday life I agree yes!
Wow Ruth, you give even more to ponder. Lynn, have I told you lately how much I love you? What a gifted writer and thinker. I love your last name and how you have embraced it. Love you baby!
Preach it sista! I call it finding your "At Least" moment... you know, that moment when you find gratitude in the midst of the worst circumstance and you say "At least I have good hair." HAHA!! Or something like that.... ;)
Lynn, I completely agree! When life gives you cherries make cherry limeade? Haha! But seriously! When I am going through a rough time in life I will get sad, down etc. then I stop to think and say, "wait a minute"! I can't allow myself to stay in this moment for too long! There is this joy that I have inside of me that tends to come up regardless of what I am going through. Even though I may not always act it or feel it, I know that joy is inside of me and it doesn't allow me to stay down for too long. Am I equating my internal joy (Jesus) with happiness?? Yes, I think so! Do I always act "happy"? No. Do I always have Jesus? YES! Which means that I will be happy again very soon! Because joy comes in the morning!
Ruth, So great that we can walk THROUGH those dark seasons, right? Christy, you do have fabulous hair! Lizette...i'm going to use that Cherry Limeade line :)
Thanks so much all of you for reading!
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