Silver Linings and Rainbows and Birds that Sing

There have been many times in my life when I was afraid to admit I was happy. I had a tendency to be "waiting for the other shoe to drop." Some of those times were in my not-so-good years, my alcoholic 20s and 30s. But even at that, I've had many and many happy moments.

I've learned to take those moments and treasure them. Happiness, I've found, is not eternal (at least not here on earth) and it's not consistent. The moments come and go.

Today, for example, in between doing some minor household chores, I snuggled for half an hour on the couch, a small crocheted afghan on me, and I allowed myself to thoroughly enjoy the happiness that spread throughout my being while I watched a Blue Bloods re-run.

Part way during the day, I remembered I had a container of generic mint chocolate chip ice cream in the fridge freezer. I took it out and scraped a teaspoon, twice, along the smoothness. And I allowed myself to smile and make good-food noises while it melted in my mouth.

Sometimes I feel that "other shoe" anticipation when the happy moments pop up in the midst of sadder times. That's when we tend to feel guilty because we think we shouldn't be happy in the midst of tragedy or troubles or such. But that isn't so. I believe God gives us those breaks, the little silver linings, to show us that there is always hope, always a  moment or two to savor.

The trick is to do exactly that - savor them.

Thank you, Father, for the little delights you send our way. Thank you for the silver linings and the rainbows and the roses and the mint chocolate chip taste in our mouths. How does that little children's mealtime rhyme go? "Thank you for the world so sweet. Thank you for the food we eat. Thank you for the birds that sing. Thank you God for everything."