Happy Days Are Here Again

As I continue on my journey to complete my 101 in 1001 I am continually amazed at how happy I am working on my list of 101 Things That Make Me Happy list. 

Through our crazy schedules it's sometimes hard to find the things that make us happy because we assume they have to be big things.  But the little things are just as important as the big ones.  Remember to live life the best you can, love the most you can.  Moments are precious, many things can wait, The Sunset Won't.

Here are the newest additions to My Happy List:

71. Feeling sick and having someone do something nice for you.  I felt like crap a couple days ago.  Sneezing every few minutes, rolling through a box of Kleenex, being hot and cold at the same time.  That’s when my mom came in brining water, Tylenol and a thin blanket.  (Sometimes there are benefits to still living at home)  Feeling like crap and having someone do something nice for you, makes me happy.

72. Organizing.  A list of my email addresses, all in different color, all of my substitute teacher numbers listed out with important phone numbers, a color coded calendar, post-its with reminders: these are all things on my bulletin board. Books sorted by author, lists of the books I own, movies that are alphabetized, a file box of teaching lessons/ideas sorted by subject.  A closet of clothes sorted by sleeve length.  Organizing my things makes me happy.

73. Having a comeback.  Sometimes conversations are quick and you just don’t have that comeback.  You know that if you had a few minutes to think about it you would have a really witty retort.  But for the moment you sit there.  Or maybe its someone you know who usually isn’t the fastest with a comeback and then all of the sudden, with perfect timing, they deliver it.  Those times when I, or someone I know, is quick with a great quip makes me happy.

74. Free things.  I was at the state fair last week and there were more free samples than I remember there being in years past.  Free iced tea samples, apple sauce, juice samples… even a free book!  Free things make me happy.

75. Newborns.  My cousin had her third child this past weekend.  On Sunday I got to go meet the newest addition to her family in the hospital.  Holding that sweet little baby, being reminded about how fast time goes, how precious life is was such a treat.  Those little fingers and toes, the cooing and twisting in your arms. Imagining the person that this little one will become is so much fun.  Newborns make me happy, especially when they are family.

76. Karma.  Karma can be great.  Karma can also be horrible.  There are times when that thing we did comes back to bite us in the butt.  Then there are times when that good deed comes back to you in full.  Karma is a reminder that what goes around often comes around.  Usually, karma makes me happy.

77. People who get you.  I am often reserved, quiet and more serious when you first meet me.  I am not a touchy-feely person.  I hide insecurities.  But when I get to know you I can be goofy, funny, more open.  When you find people who ‘get you,’ who need no explanation for your actions, you need to keep them in your life.  Because they are rare.  People who get me, make me happy.

78. Surprising someone.  It’s not expected.  You bake something, make something, do something that is unexpected.  The recipient of your good deed had no idea you were doing it.  Or maybe they had an inkling but the timing surprised them.  Surprising people makes me happy.

79. Calming someone’s worries.  I know what its like to be stressed.  To worry about something so completely.  When I have the opportunity to talk someone through a moment like that, to help calm their anxiety, I know how helpful that can be.  When I can help calm someone’s worries, that makes me happy.

80. Satisfying a craving.  Maybe you love Chinese food, maybe its coffee ice cream with chocolate chips on top.  Maybe you really want that breakfast burrito from Sonic or that Caramel Cooler from Caribou Coffee.  Whatever it is, when you are craving a food or drink and you decide to give in, that moment makes me happy.