2011: Choosing Happiness

Come what may...and love it.

This saying has been going through my head for quite some time & it pertains perfectly to my goal of choosing happiness in 2011...whatever the circumstances.

And while I do love it, I cannot claim 'ownership' of it or the idea of it. {But I can claim action on it.} The phrase comes from a family friend who I actually haven't ever met in person, if that makes any sense. We live just blocks away & her mom quilts with my mom, but she is a good 6 or 7 years younger than me, so our paths never once crossed. But I've been impressed with her from afar.

You see she has faced 'serious' trials over the last year. Not my 'trivial' inconveniences that I try to classify as 'trials' which don't really even come close. You see last year, she was set to get married, dress shopping done, invites sent, the whole deal. She had been suffering from severe headaches & went to see her family doctor, who also happens to be mine & lives in the same neighborhood as my parents & her parents. She went just to rule out anything major & long story {that isn't mine} short, she was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer.

I remember first hearing about it at the salon of all places. My network of people is all very interconnected & my hairstylist that I went to high school with grew up just blocks from her as well & well, we all really love her & her family.

My hairstylist told me she had a blog & after calling my mom to confirm that it was all actually true, I got online.

And then I cried.

I cried because she was so young & good. She oozes goodness. I cried because she was so brave. I cried because her fiance stood by her side, flying to SanFran for brain surgery with her & insisting the wedding carry on. I cried because she bumped up her bridal pictures so she'd still have her hair. I cried because this army of people came together to produce one incredible wedding. I cried because she was still happy, brain cancer & all. Not happy about having brain cancer, but happy to face the challenge.

And that is inspiring.

She'd sign a lot of her posts, "Come what may & love it." I thought it very profound. We really have no control over most of the things around us so why not succumb? Why not adjust our expectations & embrace our 'everyday' challenges? Instead of trying to manage, control & fix, why not find our joy in the mess?

I wanted to have something in my home to remind me. Because for some reason, I forget all. the. time. how very blessed I am. I forget to be a little patient. I forget to use a kind voice. I forget to show gratitude. I forget, or more accurately, I fast forward to impatient & sharp words. And I don't want to forget or fast forward. I want to linger a little longer & be a little softer when those trivial trials pop up...because in our trials we find our strength & in finding our strength we find happiness.

Come what may & love it.

To keep up with Tara & her fight...go here.