“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.” Omar Khayyam
Last week on the drive to my daughter’s school, I made my daily phone call to my Mom. For me, it’s a simple form of comfort. Our conversations are brief and we talk about random moments: my mom’s trip to the grocery store, her dinner plans, and of course, a story about her granddaughter. After sharing the mundane, my mom asked me an unexpected question.
“Are you happy, Rudri? Your recent posts are colored with sadness. Don’t you want to focus on happiness?” She said this in a single breath, without pausing, hesitating, or wondering how I would react to this question.
To be honest, this observation and question took me by surprise. Her conversation prompted me to reflect on happy moments. She is right. There are slices and fragments of happiness that fill my day. Perhaps, she is my reminder, to really concentrate on letting go of sadness and dwell on happiness. These are some of my moments of happiness.
Happiness is the smell of coffee brewing while early morning light slivers through the window.
Happiness is the silence of a morning run while the sun rises behind the mountains.
Happiness is the random unexpected “I love you Momma” that happens so many times a day that I’ve lost count.
Happiness is brie, crackers, and a glass of Riesling.
Happiness is the sound of an old friend’s voice.
Happiness is realizing on some days that you are enough.
Happiness is singing Paradise by Coldplay as loud as you want in your car down the freeway.
Happiness is reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, but also skimming the pages of US Weekly.
Happiness is a game of Words With Friends. Even when I am losing.
Happiness is writing a perfect sentence.
Happiness is a girl’s night out with my favorite group of gals.
Happiness is dinner with my family.
Happiness is a good night’s sleep.
Happiness is when my daughter heard John Lennon sing Imagine and declaring, “He’s a good singer Momma.”
Happiness is hearing your Mom’s voice everyday.
Thank you Mom. For reminding me and urging me to focus on happiness. Because those are the moments one must fully realize.
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.
Your mom is a smart lady. I am so happy that she asked you and reminded you of all the happiness in your life. A mom just knows when her child needs to be lifted….and she lifted you! xo
Moms have a way of reminding us what is important. And you are right, their sixth sense is undeniable. Always lovely seeing you in my space. xoxo
I don’t know your Mom but love her already. You are blessed to still be mothered while mothering your young daughter. Slices of happiness abound – thanks for such a sweet start to the week.
Barb,
Thanks so much for the sweet compliment. My mother is someone that people immediately like. She’s a woman with very few words, but when she does speak she always enlightens me. I am lucky indeed. Thanks for reading and commenting.
I just love your list of “happiness”! And your mother! And you!
Sometimes the posts I write are less than happy because of the subject matter. Just this past weekend, I thought I need to write a post about happiness one of these days.
I also gravitate toward sadness in my writing because I feel like it is an avenue to cope with grief and loss. I often talk about the pendulum between happiness and sadness. It’s something I am trying to understand – part of that process requires writing about it.
I am glad my list resonated with you. Thanks so much for all the love!
How wonderful to have a mother to share your happiness with and then pass it to your daughter. How often we forget all of those little moments of happiness that make up our day. Thanks for the reminder.
Cindi:
I am grateful that I have the wisdom of both my mom and daughter.
Everyone, I think, can benefit by listing out all of their moments of happiness. Appreciate you reading and commenting. Thanks!
This is lovely, not only for the sentiments expressed by your mom – a good reminder to all of us – but also, that you have her in your life.
I find that I need these reminders to remember what is important. Getting mired in negativity can cloud what really matters.
That’s the good thing about having mom as your blog follower :).
Lol. I definitely agree Luanne. A great benefit that she reads my blog!
I love this post!
This week I was also challenged to write a list of the things I am grateful for, stick them to my mirror and focus on them each morning.
It is so easy to forget the little pockets of sunshine in the midst of a cloudy/stormy day… but acknowledging the small pleasures and joys can make such a difference.
xx
(P.S. Here’s my post on the same theme)
Welcome Simone!
I do agree that we all should acknowledge what part of living we do enjoy. I am so guilty of getting mired in the details or minor irritations that I sometimes forget what is truly important. I will definitely check out your list. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Whhops forgot to paste it in – duh!
http://www.greatfun4kidsblog.com/2012/08/grateful-list-for-my-soul.html
A beautiful post and a very wise mom! Visiting from SITS and so glad that I did. This was exactly the does of happy I needed this morning!
Welcome!
I am grateful that my words resonated with you. Hope you come up with your own happiness list! Thanks for reading and commenting.
This is such a great reminder. Thank you for this. I haven’t been focusing as much on happiness as I should and you’re right. It is this moment – this life and the little things. Visiting over from SITS!
Christine,
I needed the reminder myself and that was the impetus of this post. There is so much to be happy about. We just have to open our eyes and take inventory of the personal happiness in our life. Thanks for visiting and commenting!
I love this! Too often I think we focus on the negative, but there are so many happy moments in everyday life. Many of mine are the same as yours!
Visiting from SITS 🙂
Katie,
Welcome! I think it is easy to focus on what we don’t have. In efforts to combat this, I try to do a weekly list of what I am grateful for. Thanks for reading and commenting!
What a beautiful post and your list put a smile on my face. Having a mom like that is something special. I’m glad I have a mom like that too. Happy Sharefest!
Mmmm. A perfect sentence. That makes me happy, too.
What a beautiful reminder from your mother. And you received it well. Thanks for sharing.
Stopping by for Saturday Sharefest — I’m a little late. I hope you had a great weekend.
I love that your definitions of happiness are all things that can be found easily and nearby, if only we looked carefully enough. I tend to write about “graver” topics too sometimes, but we can all find things to be happy about. It is sweet that your mom reads your blog!