When 'Happy' Happens

I was about 8 years old when 'Happy' showed itself in tears, for the first time. I was at the Olympic Swim Club with my friend Kay, who was also 8 years old.  I recall that we weren’t allowed to actually swim in the pool that day, because the club was hosting a “Little Miss Olympic Contest.”  Of course, I had no clue what a pageant was or even that Kay’s mom had entered her in the contest.  I simply remember playing on the ladder in the deep end and dipping my toes into the forbidden water as the girls paraded down the diving board and back. Then a man’s voice came over the loud speaker and announced that Kay was “Little Miss Olympic!”  Suddenly, I was crying so much that my Mom came rushing over to see if I had been injured. It took me by surprise because I didn’t KNOW why I was crying. Then, I realized that I was completely happy … for Kay.

I’m looking forward to feeling that kind of happy again this weekend. My precious friend, Ladybug, is getting married.  Ladybug and I became friends years ago, through a church group.  One of the first times that we met over coffee, I remember her eyes filling with tears when she talked about how lonely she was. A single mother of three boys, she’d been through more than her share of hurdles and she was just about at the end of her rope. I tried to encourage her to hang on … to trust that God had someone wonderful in mind for her.  Fast forward several years, and here we are. 

One day during the wedding planning process last year, she expressed concern over the idea that maybe no one would show up for her big day. But I knew better. People want more ‘happy.’

Seems like most of us are just trying to keep our heads above water on any given day.  We deal with bills, car troubles, more bills, taxes, illnesses and work. We’re overcommitted, overburdened and overly exhausted.  We no longer have to wait for our daily dose of bad news from the 6 pm TV broadcasts, we get the doom and gloom streamed to us on the radio, our phones, through Twitter, Facebook and a myriad of other channels ... when all we really want is a little bit of ‘happy.’

Happiness is the package that comes with HOPE at its creamy, sweet center. Some of us look for those magic glimpses of it in goosebump-producing auditions on shows like X-Factor or American Idol. Sometimes we get a taste of it when our kids achieve a milestone as a result of hard work.  But overall, it can be pretty elusive.  Add to that the fact that we are egocentric beings and it becomes a rarity to REALLY feel completely happy for someone else. ("When is it MY turn?!")  I know I struggle with this kind of selfishness way, way too much.

My Mama has a saying that goes like this, “They have to know how much you care before they care how much you know.”  And I KNOW that Ladybug cares for me. She’s listened to me whine about stupid stuff many times. She’s loved me unconditionally when I was at my worst (and I've had far too many of those days than I care to recount). She’s been my best friend in every sense of the word.  So I am over-the-moon with Happy for her, this week.  On Saturday, I’m going to dance like a drunken fool and toast my precious friend, her new husband and the fact that she finally has a big, well deserved, fistful of Happy!