The Underrated Duty

There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy, we sow anonymous benefits upon the world. -Robert Louis Stevenson

Perhaps you think you'll be happy when you get a bigger kitchen, or a new job, or the perfect someone with whom to share your life, or for me, maybe when I get my basement finished. "Happiness is not a posession to be prized," "It is a quality of thought, a state of mind." Happiness is a living emotion.

As I thought about these simple statements last night when I had a few quite moments, I recalled the simple happiness I felt today and these are a few.

1. I felt happy with the loads of soft, floral smelling towels nicely folded on my kitchen table anlong with loads of children's laundry washed and folded with love, just waiting to be put away.

2. Looking out my back window and seeing Graci, laying on the hammock, basking in the sun so content like.

3. Riley, so excited, coming home from a day of High School, and saying, Guess what? I got Royalty for the Junior Prom! How exciting is that! Happiness is knowing that your children are having a great time in H.S. yet making good choices and having great friends and doing the things that will make great People.

4. Hattie came home with a piece of paper and was so excited to show me and handed it to me and it was a A+ in Language Arts. Happiness is knowing that you have instilled in your children that hard work does pay off and always strive to do their best.

5. Watching two games at one time. Layton playing baseball on one and Hannah playing softball on the other while parked in between the fields so I could also watch Graci playing at the park. Seeing Layton up to bat with such confidence that he could do anything that he set his mind to do and watching him with such a smooth stroke of the bat and seeing that ball fly over the fence and into a trailor park! HOMERUN!! Seeing Layton be so Happy can only make his Mom so happy. He is truly the hardest worker I know next to his Father and having him overcome such obstacles in his life that has brought him to this point is truely a blessing.

6. Hannah coming home from school with a four on her spelling test and knowing within herself that she did a great job! Also, she was so excited after softball that she was going to be either Pitcher or First Baseman.

7. Graci, running over to the car and was so happy that she had made a new friend. Also watching her stand up to some bigger kids because they had a toy that she had taken to the park. Watching my children have the confidence to reach out beyond themselves to make a new friend or to stand up for right truely makes me happy!

8. Watching them all on the trampoline after school with Riley's friend Dani having a great time together jumping and talking brings happiness.

It is definately the simple things in life that bring me such happiness! My Family is the biggest part of that Simple Abundance.