Finding My Happy

It's a new day...another day wiser, another full to-do list, another load (or 3) of laundry, and I do believe another wrinkle.  It seems that every day I sit to do my hair and makeup I sure enough stumble upon something new that makes me crinkle my nose...silver streaks and wrinkles.  If I think about it long it enough, I can successfully ruin what could be a good day.  That's no exaggeration, I'm good at focusing on the small, seemingly insignificant parts of life that can bring me down.  Some might say it's a talent.  I do believe it's a curse.  I digress.  I am rapidly approaching my 37th birthday (insert cringe) and I in the last several months have really been nostalgic for what used to be; my carefree college days, the early years of marriage, living life without the worry of bills.  Awe, the days of my youth.  It's time and experiences that have brought on these fine lines and crown of splendor (Proverbs 16:31).  Because of my "curse" it is very easy to focus on the blah parts of life that have stressed me to the point of changing my appearance.

Last Tuesday, while I was sitting on the bleachers watching my oldest son run at his track meet a verse that I had read countless times before came to mind.

"...I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do:  

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me...."

Philippians 3:13-14

It's true that time, experiences, fatigue, and worry bring about the creases around my eyes and lips...but so do smiles, laughter, and genuine happiness.  Right now, I have found myself in unfamiliar territory in life.  I have struggled to see my glass as anything but half empty.  But realizing the now is not going to be the always, is helping me smile once again.  It's a day to day process.  Sometimes even moment to moment, but I am finding my happy once again.

As for my wrinkles?  They are worth every single happy memory I have.

    

 Every. Single. Day.  My girl fills my heart with joy.  She takes me on coffee dates, LIKES taking selfies with me, and shares her heart.  She's responsible, dependable, and goes out of her way to let me know I am loved. She's my girl.

Ethan, Ethan, Ethan.  This boy makes me smile daily.  He's open, honest, determined, and keeps me laughing!  He's a role model to his teammates, his siblings, and even me at times.  What a blessing!

There aren't enough words to describe how much this boy means to me!  I love how he interacts with his friends, how he reads to his little sisters, and how open he is about his relationship with God.  He has a soft heart and more empathy than most.  He has my heart! 

 How could anyone look at this face and not smile.  She's smart, silly, and even a bit sassy.  She likes to run, write poems, and do flips.  Between her theatrical moods and her infectious laugh, Miss Kaitlyn Roy keeps me in stitches!

 

She's bold, adventurous, and never allows for a dull moment.  Miss Addie Pie gives it her all when she's sledding, pulling off April Fool's pranks, finding the pot of gold our leprechaun left us, or reading poetry to her class. She's truly one in a million.

#findingmyhappy