". . . a brush with nature"

I read this somewhere quite some time ago, but the thought has really stuck with me. We all are really only “happy by choice” . . . or, adversely then, unhappy by our own mindset or the decisions we alone make. 

Every day we are presented with many opportunities to be unhappy . . . but at the same time there are many more chances to experience joy. For example, I treasure each and every moment I get to spend with my husband and love of my life, Al, and the times we share with our children and grandchildren making new memories and reminiscing about old ones. I am also filled with a delight I find hard to express when I hear Al sing and play his guitar, because this is something that brings great happiness to someone I love so deeply. We also find joy together in the woods surrounding our home and my studio. It is a place we enjoy experiencing together as we watch the birds and other wildlife around us. And, of course, the creation of art in my small studio in the woods brings me immense happiness each day, too.

Look for the small things around you that make you smile and grab onto every opportunity to do what you love so that you, too, can be happy by choice today and every day.