Very Little is Needed to Make a Happy Life. -Marcus Aurelius

Gratitude. Gratitude is needed to make one happy. Today I am grateful. The last two weeks my children have been with their Dad. I was alone on Thanksgiving but it gave me something I lack, which is time. Time to be happy, time to miss my babies, time to reset, time to get clear, time to take care of myself. It has been very, very, good and introspective. It has given me time to go on dates, and spend time with friends that I love and who love me. It has given me time to invest into relationships and one that was neglected, the relationship with self. My eyes and heart are wide open and happy. 

Creating a happy life takes deliberate decision making on the daily. One thing I love is art. I love art museums, and sculpture, and architecture, paintings, and beautiful photography. So as I was taking care of myself this week, I could relate to a favorite artist.....See if you can guess who?

Just call me Van Gogh. 

I have had a bothersome spot on the back of my ear so I FINALLY went to get it checked out. They biopsied it and the Dr. scared me a bit telling me they might have to remove the whole back side of my ear if it comes back positive for skin cancer. I'm not too worried about it but Van Gogh might be my new nickname. Especially, since he said my ear would look weird. Awesome. However, I am grateful I was able to finally get to the bottom of the problem and had time to deal with it. Plus, I'm not just going to let some Dermatologist go chop shop with my ear.  On to more art analogies...

One of the most stunningly, breathtaking, sculptures to behold in real life is Winged Victory, or The Roman Goddess of Victory also known as NIKE. 

Did you know that? Did you know Nike was named after a goddess? It is. I love this piece of art. I love it because I can identify with it. She is strong and powerful yet feminine. She isn't slight, she is a force to be reckoned with. Don't you love the beautiful, feminine power she portrays? I sure do. I love it because I look at this and think...she is strong and strong is beautiful. Art makes me happy. So does being strong. 

Fix Your Ponytail And Get After It....

Being strong makes me happy. Showing up for myself makes me happy. Getting into the gym makes me happy. These things are simple, but they are daily choices. A big thank you to Laura for kicking my can this week on the pull up bar at the gym! A big thank you hug to Karen and Laura together we were strong. 

Happy is running a quick 5k before the big Thanksgiving pig out. It is visiting with old friends and meeting new ones. 

Happy is counting my blessings as I run and being proud of my body for doing the work. It is feeling pride for the strong women who ran beside me. It is thinking over and over again...diet coke, diet coke, diet coke..because that was my reward when I finished. It was sprinting as a team through the finish line. We were the Gilbert Goddesses of Victory in that moment. It was a really awesome way to start the day. 

Happiness is listening to a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem and feeling such gratitude for our Military, our freedom, and this country. It is feeling pride to be an American. 

Happiness is babies and family. Can you believe this is one of the only pictures I have of Thanksgiving with my family? The other one is of the pies my sister made (of course I take a picture of the pies!) but she is licking her finger in it and I thought maybe she wouldn't like that posted. Ha. Happiness is all those smile wrinkles I have earned. Happiness is our tradition of going to a movie after dinner. Happiness is wearing the Gilbert Turkey Trot t-shirt to dinner. A tradition I have done since I ran the Turkey Trot 10K with my Dad in high school. Happiness is good memories and lots of Turkey Trot T-shirts. 

Happiness is spending quality time with your friends. It is shopping for family picture outfits not for YOUR family pictures but your friends...searching every store for JUST the right thing but coming up empty handed. It is eating salt and vinegar fries and fancy cheeseburgers...um yes. YUM! It is seeing the movie Wonder with your children and their friends. 

Happiness is simple. 

Happy. XOXO- The Sunny D