Happy to Be

I have a few questions for you.  I have the answers too! How's that for confidence? But they aren't the answers according to Sarala Godine. They are the answers according to Robert Holden, the author of Be Happy: release the power of happiness in YOU. Are you curious? Here we go:

"Bring the first thing that hits you on the nose." 

This is one of my favourite things to say, a somewhat inner joke with myself, and it comes from a deep place in my heart; a place of childlike wonder.  A comment one of our readers made on our Facebook page about the best gifts being from the heart had me thinking about gifts and my general habit of shunning the celebration of Valentine's Day in favour of spontaneous gifts from the heart that occur for no reason at all, except perhaps, love.

Blossoms in February
Warm my winter heart
Soft colour against grey skies

February in my part of the world is a strange month.  Winter has not quite departed, yet teasing signs of spring are beginning to appear; small gifts of colour which leave us yearning for the Equinox that brings warmth to the sun's rays while we still await news of winter's last hurrah.

Canadian’s celebrated Thanksgiving on October 11^th and on Thursday, November 25^th folks in the U.S will observe their version of Thanksgiving. Each country traditionally celebrates with family feasts and by taking, at least a few moments, to acknowledge how much they have to be grateful for. But unless you are American or Canadian these holidays are of little importance. Or are they?

In his book, On Gratitude, Todd Jensen recounts a delightful, nine-year-old-boy moment when his beloved teacher, Mrs. Bammel, attempted to teach the concept of negative numbers. Despite his "toe-tinglingly" love for Mrs. Bammel, Todd just had to protest, "Why in the world would we count negative numbers? That's counting what's not there!"