The "Smartest And Happiest Person" reflects...

Further to my last post, I thought a lot about this comment - although I don't agree with such glowing superlatives - over the weekend.*

The student who wrote that on my eval (it's supposed to be anonymous, but I know...) is a 17 year old college freshman. She asked me at the last class why I was always in such a good mood, even when describing real-life legal conundrums and horrific crimes in class.

I told her the simple truth - I've had a great life. There are a number of things I've always wanted in my life, and I'm blessed enough to have them: a loving, once-in-a-lifetime marriage, 3 beautiful, "whole" children, I've achieved my education and career goals, and just enough money (not a lot, trust me!) to travel and see as much of God's creation as I can. Sure, there's lots of sad, difficult, and bad things mixed in there - I wish I'd had a happier upbringing with married parents, and sometimes I mourn for the sad, lonely, and hurt child that I was - but one thing I've learned along the way is that the only way to be happy is to make that crucial choice: to be happy, to have faith that God is there alongside me in the best AND worst times, and even when the worst happens, to just keep moving forward.

"Cool!" said she.

If that young girl remembers anything I taught her, I'd prefer it be that instead of anything related to business law.

It took a lot of hard work to get to my happy place...some by me, but mostly by my Guardian Angel, who has to be some sort of gargantuan holy warrior/principality specially assigned by St. Michael to carry me along and get me out of more than a few scrapes - no easy task in my wild youth! If angels really had wings, I've gotta believe mine would be pretty beat up and missing a few feathers. :)

So, yes, although much of my recent posting has been rather gloomy, rest assured that I am more Tigger than Eeyore, and I love my life and my family. Even the crazies and the jerks. There but for the grace of God...well, except maybe I do fit into the "jerk" category, depending on who you ask. But don't we all, sometimes?

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[*especially after my m-i-l, who's been a confidante over the years, said to me "it's amazing how nice and how normal you are with some of the stuff you've gone through in your life!" LOL!]