Knee Deep in a River and Dying of Thirst, How Happy Are You Right Now, and Underrated Duty

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Ok, to begin with, we are not going to freak out.

We are not.

Do you hear me?

I have three days of Simple Abundance to share with you.

Sometimes we get behind, and that my friend, is ok.

Just because you get a few days off, does not mean you should stop. Press ahead my friend.

And press ahead we will.

Knee Deep:

‘The first time I heard Kathy Mattea’s beautiful rendition of the country song Standing Knee Deep in a River (Dying of Thirst), I was on my way to my daughter’s school to pickup the afternoon car pool. Suddenly I had to pull over because I was crying so much I couldn’t see the road in front of me. Until then, it had been a busy but good day. I was not consciously aware of being sad or depressed. So why was I crying?

The revelation that we have everything we need in life to make us happy but simply lack the conscious awareness to appreciate it can be as refreshing as lemonade on a hot afternoon. Or it can be as startling as cold water being thrown in your face. How many of us go through our days parched and empty, thirsting for happiness, when we’re already standing knee deep in a river of abundance? Let’s choose today to quench our thirst for the good life we think others lead by acknowledging the good that already exists in our own lives. We can then offer the Universe the gift of our grateful hearts. ‘

How Happy Are You:

‘How Happy are you right now? Do you even know? Most women know what makes their parents, partners, or children happy. But when it comes to an awareness about the little specific things in life that brings a smile to our faces and contentment to our own hearts, we often come up short.

What is missing from many of our days is a true sense that we are enjoying the lives we are living. It is difficult to experience moments of happiness if we are not aware of what it is we genuinely love. We must learn to savor small, authentic moments that bring us contentment. Experiment with a new cookie recipe. Take the time to slowly arrange a bouquet of flowers in order to appreciate colors, fragrances, and beauty. Sip a cup of tea on the front stoop in the sunshine. Pause for five minutes to pet a purring cat. Simple pleasures waiting to be enjoyed. Simple pleasures often overlooked.

Let us each grasp a new idea this year. Let us grasp the awareness of what it is that makes us truly happy. Let us consider our personal preferences and learn how to recognize, then embrace moments of happiness that are uniquely our own.’

Underrated
Duty:

‘Perhaps you think you’ll be happy when you get a bigger kitchen, or a new job, or the perfect someone with whom to share your life. But don’t you want to start making happiness a habit right now? Every morning when we wake up we’ve been given a wonderful gift- another day of life- so let’s make the most of it. No one can do it for us. “Happiness is not a possession to be prized,” Daphne du Maurier wrote in Rebecca. “It is a quality of thought, a state of mind.”

Let’s adopt a new state of mind about happiness. Let’s stop thinking that things outside of our control will bring us happiness.

Admittedly, remodeling the kitchen, landing the new job we’ve been dreaming of, or finding that special someone can make us feel- at least momentarily- happier. But the magic seeds of contentment are planted deep within us. Happiness that the world cannot take away only flourish in the secret garden of our souls.

Your happiness is not a frivolous, expendable luxury. The pursuit of happiness is an inalienable right guaranteed by the Declaration of Independence. But we have to be willing to pursue it. Ultimately, genuine happiness can only be realized once we commit to making it a personal priority in our lives. This may be new behavior for some of us and a bit intimidating. Be gentle with yourself. It will all unfold. Today you may not be familiar with the happiness habit. But like any new behavior, happiness can be learned.’ – Sarah Ban Breathnach Simple Abundance A Daybook of Comfort and Joy

Wow, my complaints seem so menial.

I know that I have a list as long as my arm….

Can’t anyone cleanup after themselves? Is it really that hard to wipe up the bathroom floor after you bathe or shower? Why can’t you guys just keep your rooms cleaned up? Am I the only one who knows how to load a dishwasher? Why do I have to ask you 14,000 times to get out of bed in the mornings for school?

They seem like valid complaints to me.

But I know I am standing knee deep in a river of things I should be so grateful for.

For crying out loud, I have FIVE healthy, beautiful, robust children. Five of them. Some women would be grateful to just have one baby or child, and I have five.

We have an income. We may not be rich, but we are comfortable.

This house may not be spic and span every time someone comes to visit, but we have a home. Have you seen the news lately? The bitter cold weather. There are people who live on the streets. They are simply grateful for a blanket to keep them warm, or a shelter with an open door.

Which leads me to the fact that I really have no reason to be sad some days. Sad that I am often times overwhelmed and usually frazzled.

I can tell you the things my children love. I can tell you what makes Lenny happy. But for whatever reason, if I had $100 to just spend frivolously at this very moment, I might buy a Starbucks coffee, but I really have no idea what I would buy myself. Well, until today, I probably would have spent it on my kids honestly.

And there are all those underrated excuses again. The reasons why I feel like my life is some days out of control and the excuses for being on that back burner. All of the reasons why stay at home moms start to feel unimportant and feel we are not making a difference.

But we are.

Both making a difference and of importance.

Perspective my friends, perspective. We must open our eyes to gratitude.

(As I prepare this post, my little Nicky sits in the kitchen floor with his bulldozers, a toy hammer, and a box of graham crackers. He has crushed an entire package of these crackers, using the toy hammer, so he can scoop them up with his real working bulldozers.

Let’s give gratitude a try shall we?

I want to spank his little bum. I really do.

Today, I am grateful for a son who has the motivation and independence to to be a self starter and begin a project no matter the risk involved. Grateful for a son who has such a passion for playing.

I refrain.

I breathe.

I really want to scream.

But, I am truly grateful.

This shall be my glass of lemonade on a very hot day.

Lord, help us!)