Happiness...

"Happiness is anyone and anything at all that's loved by you."
~You're a Good Man Charlie Brown

I have been hungry all day long today--literally. From the time I woke up this morning until right now my body has wanted to do nothing but eat. I've been good about it, walking this morning and not going crazy and trying to only eat every couple of hours to maintain my latest eating schedule, which I am happy with. I'm sure this is due to being on the second day of my period, the worst and hardest of all the days of 'that time', so I'm trying to be gentle with myself and not worry too much about feeding my hungry body with healthy food.

Today while I was at Sams Club with my mom, one of the sample ladies stopped me to tell me how wonderful I looked. She's been at Sams for as long as I can remember, handing out samples with a smile and kind words and prayers for our entire family. Miss Addie, as we've come to call her, has seen both my brother and I grow up and feels like a member of our family. She always has something sweet to say about us before sending us off with a mouthful of cookie or pie and a word of thanks to Gd for having us in her life. She is too sweet for words and a truly wonderful soul.

Today, however, she mentioned something that I've never heard her mention before. She looked me in the eyes and said, "You just look so happy, and I thank Gd for that and for you." Walking away, her sweet and genuine words still ringing in my ears, I realized how right she was. For the first time in my life, I am truly and completely happy. Is everything in my life perfect? Of course not. But I am living a healthy life, full of exercise and good food and song and prayer and work and family and friends, and it hit me today just how lucky I am to be so happy and so fortunate. Not many people can say that they've found their calling and are working to make it happen. Not many people can say that they are living the healthiest life they can live at the moment. Not many people can say that they realize how special their gifts and blessings are.

But I can :)

As Miss Addie always reminds us, "Gd is watchin' over all of us and keepin' us safe. I don't know about y'all, but that's all I really need."

Amen to that, Miss Addie.

How lucky I am.