Day 16: Window Greetings for Nana

Today's moment of genuine happiness came to me compliments of my grandson Oliver (3 yrs old). I had just gotten to their apartment building and was talking with his parents in the parking lot when all of a sudden from inside the apartment, all excited and giggly, Oliver yelled with his face pressed against the window screen, "HI NANA!!!" Then he proceeded to go get his "Blue" and Blue said hi to me, too. My heart smiled so big it about burst!

Day 15: Daily Moments of Success

Woke up way early this morning... so took the opportunity to review my "Dancing My Life" goals, to check off the steps I've already taken, and to plan what steps are coming up soon (eye appointment to reduce the eye strain headaches, signing up for the month of free yoga at work, joining a dance class, etc.). I'm really liking taking things step-by-step. Not allowing myself to constantly look at the "big picture" is helping me dance my life in the little daily moments of success, instead of drowning in the big ocean of challenges. Happiness bordering on giddiness followed, and I left for work ready to pass the happiness along.

Day 14: Skip Logic

No, I don't mean that skipping logic was a happy moment... I mean that learning how to use skip logic and actually getting it to work in an embedded survey I created for work was a happy moment. Wheeeeee!!!!!!!!

Day 13: Warming Up With Brownies

One of my happiest experiences today was spending the morning with my daughter-in-law and grandsons before going to work. I just enjoy them each SO MUCH. To top it all off, it was a chilly morning and Mindy baked brownies to warm up the apartment a bit - the aroma was heavenly!!

Day 12: Guards! Guards!

Listening to an audio book given to me by a friend. Actually this has given me many happy moments for several days now. I have an hour drive to work each way, and listening to Terry Pratchett's Guards! Guards! has had me actually laughing out loud on a regular basis. Thanks, Beth!!

Day 11: Good Biopsy Results

Today I found out that my breast biopsy came back as nothing to worry about! :D

Day 10: Sons Talking

How cool is this?! Happy moment of the day... my 17 year old son still enjoys talking to me and telling me about his day! :D While this really isn't such a new concept to me (I remember each of my sons talking me at that age), I've recently come to realize that this is not the norm. I feel VERY blessed!!!

Days 8 & 9: Creative Synergy in Pictures

Oooops! Thought for sure I had posted last night... Oh well, both days' moments of genuine happiness are connected, so it's all good. :)

We (TMI Tribal) had two days of photo shoots with my cousin of Charlotte-Ann Photography. We had SO MUCH FUN!!! Lots of laughing, getting all dressed up (in two different "looks"), ooooo'ing and ahhhhh'ing over each other's choices of individual shot poses, and experiencing a creative synergy with our photographer that had us climbing over boulders, crouching through long grass, hugging walls, sitting on railings, and standing in a river!! A massive conglomerate of happy moments!

If you'd like to see photos from the shoot as they're posted on Facebook, "Like" Charlotte-Ann Photography!! :D

Day 7: Quiet down...

Laughing so hard with my supervisor and another co-worker that someone from the meeting room next to our office came over to ask us to quiet down!! The more stressful the deadlines, the sillier we get... just one of the reasons I feel blessed in my job.

Day 6: Happy going to work?

When I first woke up this morning I again felt like a freight train had hit me while I was sleeping, and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it in for work. I changed my work schedule and went back to sleep for another hour. It was still difficult getting up, but a bit better. I got ready for work and started feeling another bit better (an unusual progression...). By the time I left home, I was feeling like I could actually make it through the day. I hit the road (it's an hour drive to work), cranked the tunes, and had an immensely happy drive, especially taking time to just be "in the moment".

Day 5: Being appreciated for who you are

I was completely floored when a dear lady who I work closely with turned to me while I was helping her with some computer issues today and told me that it was wonderful to have my energy back in the office (took last week off for health reasons). Why did this make for a genuinely happy moment? Because it was a compliment not for what I do or for how I look.... but just for who I am. The "energy" she was talking about is an inner and integral part of ME. There is something magical about just being appreciated for who you are.

Day 4: Conversing with a good friend

Conversing with a good friend who had been incognito for a while = happiness X 100!!!

Day 3: A welcome taste of fall air

Standing outside in refreshingly cool air (almost sweater weather - but not quite), looking between the tops of my backyard pine trees to a beautiful deep blue sky dotted intermittently by bright white fluffy clouds. Breathing in a welcome taste of fall air....

Day 2: Creative Collaboration

One of today's moments of genuine happiness occurred while work began on choreographing a new TMI Tribal dance piece with my troupemate Imigula. We had already discussed the "feeling" and "look" for a certain section of the music; then we collaborated to come up with formations, stage placement, and traveling movements (and that alone had us giggling as we enjoyed taking turns pushing the four pennies around on the "stage" to illustrate our ideas); then we were inspired to alternate between two duets (initially Imigula's idea, which we then built upon together). When we checked the counts for the section it all fit together perfectly!!! So exciting and fun!!

Day 1: Smile Because It Happened

Today's truly happy moment was inspired by a quote:

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." --Dr. Seuss

It surprised me when I found out this quote was from Dr. Seuss, one of my favorite childhood authors and whose books I loved reading to my own children. How fitting then that the quote inspired memories of raising my children; and, instead of those memories being tainted by the usual lingering sadness that this part of my life is fast coming to an end (my baby turns 18 next month), today I experienced only the pure happiness of those memories.... and genuinely smiled because they happened.