Be Happy

I went on a run in the snow covered morning yesterday. It was nirvana. Every limb of every tree was encrusted in ice and snow, and the morning sun shimmered and danced, sparkling on the tinseled twigs. Lucky, who never wants to run with me any more, begged to join me. We both pranced through the winter wonderland, delighting in being alive. Honeybun, who has made a miraculous recovery from her mysterious ailment, asked to go next. I took her for her first walk in 5 days, and she skittered joyfully, tiptoeing on the snow. When we got back, I noticed a little snowman Arvo had built on the deck railing. It had little glasses and a smile made of pipe cleaners, and a baby carrot nose. One could not look at that little snowman without laughing in delight.

Later in the day, Arvo and I went to visit Mom K in the nursing home. Her own miraculous recovery was continuing. She was laughing and jabbering on and on, sometimes making sense, sometimes not. But she was happy.
"Matt and Karissa made the finals in their law school contest," I told her.
She smiled widely and held her arm up high in the air.
"Come here!" she yelled.
"What are you doing Mom?" asked Arvo.
"I get you," I laughed, "You are happy for them."
"Of course," she said, "I am congratulating them."
I clasped her upraised hand and we laughed.

When we brought her to the "common area" where other residents were gathered, a very vivacious woman introduced herself.
"This is Gert," I said, introducing Mom K.
"And this is my sister," said Mom K, introducing me. Her sister? She beamed at me.
"I'm Vicky," I said, shaking the woman's hand, "I'm her daughter in law, and that is Arvo, her son."
"So!" cried Mom K, "That's what it is!"

King Solomon knew that joy was ephemeral. When times are good, be happy, he advised in the book of Ecclesiastes. This is important. Very important.

It was a happy day. From beginning to end there was beauty, and joy, and miracles. I was a little sad to see the snow had nearly melted away by the late afternoon. The little snowman Arvo had made lost an arm, and his belly was looking mighty anorexic. I noticed Arvo creep out, gather the last little remains of snow on the deck and patch up the little snowman. Sometimes we need to hang on to joy as long as possible. You never know when you may need those memories.

Ecclesiastes 7:14 (NIV)
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.



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