Perfect Moment

I was reading a blog today and it got me thinking about something that I’ve pondered many times in the past: Are we ever truly happy? The writer wrote about not recognizing the person she saw in the mirror after two children. I understand that completely. Stretch marks weren’t even in my vocabulary until I had children. I don’t even notice them nine months of the year since they are undercover, but when swimsuit season rolls around, there they are. Did you know they don’t tan? At all? I didn’t! Thank goodness for Nivea’s Sun Kissed Radiant lotion or they’d be even more noticeable.




Anyhow, the purpose of my post isn’t to lament my body. I consider myself pretty blessed with the Juillerat genes that mean I can consume a Snickers and Dr Pepper daily and still lose weight. What I’m concerned with is happiness. Are we ever happy? And if we are, how do we know it? I’m guilty of trying to cram too much into my day. I find myself going at Energizer Rabbit Speed (ERS) trying to do every little thing and meet every little demand that I believe needs my attention. I think that’s the Type A multi-tasking mom in me.


Don’t get me wrong, I love my full life and wouldn’t trade it, but some days I have to stop and remind myself that I need to find the happiness in the chore I’m doing. I think that’s what a lot of people forget to do. They get so sucked into the vast land of negative, that they forget to count their blessings. Like last week, I didn’t want to go walk because that meant I couldn’t read my new book or take a nap. Some priorities I have! Still, I plowed on and did it anyway. What was the happiness I derived? I got to enjoy an hour with a good friend in the sunshine at a lovely park I'd never been to. Granted, the realist in me recognizes that some days it is hard to find the happiness in a task. Who really likes cleaning a litter box? You’d have to be delusional to actually like clean up after a cat, dog, child, husband, chimp, you get the idea.


To make sure I'm not taking my own happiness for granted, I do this thing with the boys that they’ve started doing on their own recently. It is called Perfect Moment. The idea is, sometimes we have moments that are just so perfect and filled with contentment and happiness that we don’t want them to escape us. We stop whatever we are doing and say we’ve found a Perfect Moment and say why it qualifies. Owen had one the other day when he found Gav curled up asleep and in his words “looking so sweet- just like he did when he was a baby.” I’ve had them on days like last Thursday when I was writing while sitting outside, listening to the boys chatter about Star Wars and the birds chirping. There was a cool breeze and well, the moment was just perfect. It is one of those moments I could stay in for a while and I’m glad I stopped typing long enough to recognize it.

I wish we could all take time to slow down in life to actually see what is in front of us.  I hope my children continue to relish in the moment and to be the happy guys they are now.  I hope they remember a smile and laughter are infectious and that we can be truly happy if we stop and remember happiness is a perfect moment and you have to recognize it when you see it.  It may be gone before you know it.