“The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” ~ Rev Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887)
The longest day is a lovely time to think about finding happiness in common things. I say that after a morning where I got to walk on the beach, not an ordinary day for me by any means. Many in the world live on or closer to water than I. Having begun the day like that--the beach wider than usual, the breeze sultry of course in mid-June, but not over-heated--I may be more prone to recognize happiness than I would be on other days.
Everything seems easier when our mood is one of appreciation. It's interesting that Beecher talks about "extracting" happiness from common things. Extracting is active, it's a bit of work, isn't it. But that's OK. These days we don't expect to be wooed. We're willing to say, isn't it nice that I woke up by my husband today to the hum of the ceiling fan? Isn't it nice that I packed the Grape Nuts and milk for breakfast? Can you believe there's a line of pelicans out the window, and that the walk to the water is not far at all?
And that even though we live in the southern United States, we will still have a long day with the sun rising at 5:50 am and not setting here in Atlantic Beach until 8:23 pm. So that we can sit on the windy deck after a supper of local fish I bought at the market today and some luscious heirloom tomatoes that are almost bronze in color. All these pleasures are common to someone, if not always me. But summer tomatoes? Who doesn't have memories of those dripping down our chins? My dad grew tomatoes in a small garden behind our first house in north St. Louis. Strawberries too. My mother tried her hand at peonies. They definitely extracted happiness from common things. Friends over for cards. A beer.
My grandparents too. They fished in the rivers of the Missouri Ozarks and fried up the catch. They stayed in $5/night cabins and swatted the mosquitoes. We kids stayed with them and fended for ourselves in dangerous currents during fishing season.
Well, it looks like we can extract happiness from memories too. What are you thinking about today? Do you live where the light lasts far longer than a mere 8:23 pm? Are there sheep grazing in the twilight where you live, or cattle lowing? Or is there nightlife, songs and dancing? One year 9 years ago we were in Fairbanks, Alaska for the longest day and went to a midnight baseball game, sans lights. That was fun!
I'm almost sorry that days get shorter from now on. We want long summers don't we? We want moments of happiness to bank for times of sorrow or worry. And we're willing to work for this, to cook for friends, to put on clean sheets for guests, to clean up before and after. That's the Art of Being Happy.
Nina Naomi
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