Don't Wait!

This afternoon I let my dogs outside and sat down on the bench on the porch. It was a beautiful afternoon, with high streaky clouds in a blue sky, sunshine, a nice little breeze ruffling the grasses outside the fence.

I looked at my watch, and realized it was about an hour before when I would have gotten out of work, back when I was working full-time. I looked at the dogs. They were both laying (lying? I always have to look that one up) in the grass in the sunshine, panting gently, sniffing whatever smells were coming in on the wind.

I was happy. One thing I've learned is that "someday", that "Someday, after X, I'll be happy" never comes. If I can't be happy right now, with my rugs covered with shed dog hair, all too likely I won't think to be happy when I've gotten them cleaned up for five minutes.

You have to grab onto happiness right now, and notice: I'm eating french fries and I'm happy, because they are hot and salty enough for once. I am warm and dry and have clean clothes and enough to eat, and I'm happy. My family and my pets are all healthy at once, and I'm happy. I can hear music, and I have access to more music than Louis XIV could ever have dreamed would exist.

And I'm happy.