Happiness is......

For some reason, this week has felt quite hard for me.  I can't quite put my finger on what it is exactly - is it the loss of Bodhi, the new term, juggling too many things, my body's unwillingness to be a size 10 - or perhaps it's a combination of all of these things and more.  Either way, I have the feeling that despite my best efforts not to, it is so easy to get caught back into the 'race' trap.  I'm not sure what the finishing line 'is' exactly, but the pressure to get there is sometimes tangible, and raises those little questions that quietly nag in the back of your mind until before you realise it, they've grown into this big cloud of anxiety hovering about your very being.  You probably know what some of those questions are......

am I doing enough? am I a good mother? why do I feel lonely? am I failing my children? does my bum look big in this? (ok, maybe that's not an important question, but its still there!), are my children doing ok? are we 'learning' enough? should we do more? less? will we ever pay the mortgage? how can I be a better wife / friend / mother?.....

I hope your getting the drift with that.  Stilling the mind and stepping off that race track is tricky, so I'm not going to try and analyse it, instead I am going to change the subject.  One of the blogs I follow has inspired me to write a 'Happiness is..... ' list.  So this is mine:

Happiness is the quiet before my children wake

Happiness is the sun dancing on the leaves outside my window

Happiness is chocolate cake

Happiness is tea in my favourite mug made each morning by my lovely husband


Happiness is the crisp pages of a new book

Happiness is climbing into my bed at the end of the day

Happiness is cuddles from my children at an unexpected moment

Happiness is warming my feet by the fire, knitting in hand

Happiness is catching up with friends over a good coffee (soya latte please)

Happiness is watching a new mother look into her baby's eyes for the first time


I think all the learning for the moment that the children and I need is centre on this for a while, and for them to create their own list.  What are your 'happiness is... moments?

angela x