Small things can make me happy. It doesn't have to be something that is expensive. Sometimes it is a chickdee landing near me while I am hanging out clothes. They are cute little birds and have little fear of people. Or it might be green grass showing up after a long winter. Or my husband making a meal. It might be a hug from someone I love. All things that make me happy.
Over the past few days I have been totally thrilled every time I walk upstairs and see our new tub sitting up here waiting to go into the yet to be built bathroom. It is one of those walk in tubs with the bubble jets. Something I have thought about getting but the price was always WAY to much. Well, it was still expensive but not as much as usual...and it is time to get a bathroom upstairs so I dont have to keep running downstairs in the middle of the night. It is a wonder I have not fallen yet...another thing that makes me happy. lol
We got a new toilet for downstairs just before we got the new tub. We got one for upstairs too, but the downstairs one is now in and functional. And it WORKS. We had the last one 10 years or so and it never did work right. To flush it you had to hit the handle then follow up with a bucket of water. Now you just hit the handle and walk away. Yep, that makes me very happy!
I remember when we put the windows in the house...We have always done one or two at a time and you can bet I appreciate every one of them. And plug ins. You learn to appreciate being able to plug something in when you have gone for years with only a few places to do so. I will still need more, but those that I have are greatly appreciated.
Walls are another thing I appreciate. I still need more...like the ones for our yet to be built bathroom, but I am sure that when they are done, they will make me very happy for a long time to come.
Does this mean I don't dream and am satisfied just with the things I have? Well, I am satisfied...content with things but I still dream of a day when my house is finished. I want to move ahead, but not at the expense of my happiness and my being content. I am not constantly reaching for "something more" every time I reach a goal. I don't tell myself "I will be happy when..." because I am already happy.
I have seen too many people say "I will be happy when this baby is born" and once it is born "I will be happy when he/she is able to feed him/herself." Then "I will be happy when he/she is out of diapers." And "I will be happy when my child starts kindergarten." Then "I will be happy when the kid can stay home alone sometimes"...and it continues but the person is never actually happy...they are too busy chasing a new period of time when they will be happy...but when it gets here it doesn't actually make them happy.
Decide to be happy NOW. With what you have. Not enough money? Well, there never will be. Be content with what you have. No, it isn't always easy. I know that. There are times I could easily wish for more money so we wouldn't have to worry about our daughter in university. I could wish for more money to finish our house instead of building as we go, but if I did that I doubt I would be happy even when the house is finished. So I will be content with the fact that I am warm and dry in the house I have. And if I never get it finished...well, the Bible has promised that I have a place prepared for me in Heaven. Either way, its a win win situation! :)
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
How much more?
I have to wonder how much more one community can take. There are probably less than 150 people living on the small Island where I grew up. In the past 8 months, there have been 10 people who have died. Some were older and it was expected but some were the ones where people say "Oh my goodness! I just saw him/her yesterday and they were telling me how well they were doing!"
Thats exactly what happened yesterday. A guy was in the local store...there is a seat down back for the men to hang out and talk...and a friend of his noticed something was wrong. One side of the guys face was starting to droop. With no clinic/hospital on the Island, he took him home and before he got him inside, he died. :( Another loss. The tenth. This guy was in his mid 60s so he was definately not old. One girl on the Island just lost an uncle 2 weeks ago when he was lost at sea...and now she loses a second uncle so quickly.
In a large community, losing 10 people isn't a huge deal...but a small community like this one...that is almost 1/10th of the population. And the people are so connected. People don't often move onto the Island...it is a very isolated existance, so you know people for all of their or your life. We are talking about an Island that has 3 miles of road. A place that is accessable only by a small, 10 (small) car ferry that runs from 6 am (IF you call and let the captain know you need an "early trip) to 7pm (if you call to request a late trip earlier in the day...wait until later in the day and you are stuck on the larger Island.) Making 6 scheduled trips each day... A place that has no bank, no restaurant, no "nightlife" unless you are talking about the natural night life like bats, raccoons and such.
An Island that has a small Convenience store and a small post office. A school from K to 6 and then the kids are ferried to the larger Island to finish their school years. A place with no RCMP, but make no mistake...if you start causing trouble for people, it WILL be dealt with in one way or another. There is one church-- Baptist. There are no dangerous animals...except humans of course. There are no bears, wolves, coyotes, skunks, porcupines, moose...(there are deer but they are small due to the size of the Island and the need to be small to survive with a small amount of food)
It is a wonderful experience to grow up there feeling safe and secure. It is one of those places were it really does have a whole village raising a child because people do look after each others children. Which is why this hurts so much to lose another person. I grew up knowing each of these 10 people who have died in such a short time. I babysat for some and some of them babysat me. I saw them in church or at the store...or both. I saw them at school functions...got rides with some of them when I was walking somewhere, ate at their houses, slept at their places overnight, played with their children...and have been saying Goodbye way too often lately.
Thats exactly what happened yesterday. A guy was in the local store...there is a seat down back for the men to hang out and talk...and a friend of his noticed something was wrong. One side of the guys face was starting to droop. With no clinic/hospital on the Island, he took him home and before he got him inside, he died. :( Another loss. The tenth. This guy was in his mid 60s so he was definately not old. One girl on the Island just lost an uncle 2 weeks ago when he was lost at sea...and now she loses a second uncle so quickly.
In a large community, losing 10 people isn't a huge deal...but a small community like this one...that is almost 1/10th of the population. And the people are so connected. People don't often move onto the Island...it is a very isolated existance, so you know people for all of their or your life. We are talking about an Island that has 3 miles of road. A place that is accessable only by a small, 10 (small) car ferry that runs from 6 am (IF you call and let the captain know you need an "early trip) to 7pm (if you call to request a late trip earlier in the day...wait until later in the day and you are stuck on the larger Island.) Making 6 scheduled trips each day... A place that has no bank, no restaurant, no "nightlife" unless you are talking about the natural night life like bats, raccoons and such.
An Island that has a small Convenience store and a small post office. A school from K to 6 and then the kids are ferried to the larger Island to finish their school years. A place with no RCMP, but make no mistake...if you start causing trouble for people, it WILL be dealt with in one way or another. There is one church-- Baptist. There are no dangerous animals...except humans of course. There are no bears, wolves, coyotes, skunks, porcupines, moose...(there are deer but they are small due to the size of the Island and the need to be small to survive with a small amount of food)
It is a wonderful experience to grow up there feeling safe and secure. It is one of those places were it really does have a whole village raising a child because people do look after each others children. Which is why this hurts so much to lose another person. I grew up knowing each of these 10 people who have died in such a short time. I babysat for some and some of them babysat me. I saw them in church or at the store...or both. I saw them at school functions...got rides with some of them when I was walking somewhere, ate at their houses, slept at their places overnight, played with their children...and have been saying Goodbye way too often lately.
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