Monday, November 12, 2007

Cupboard of Happiness

A decade or so ago I was hanging out with a friend of mine and we were sharing a mutual suffering of blues. I declared (I'm prone to declarations) that it would be wonderful to have a Cupboard of Happiness where you could keep a store of everything that makes you happy. This way when you were sad you could just fling open the cupboard and you'd be cured. Of course not everything that makes me happy could technically be put into a cupboard, so I made a list of things that make me happy instead. I wrote it down in my journal and then started to collect lists from my friends. The purpose of this was to not only make them think about what makes them happy, but also to gain some insight into how to cheer them up on a sad day (sneaky!!!)

Somewhere along the way I stopped asking people about the contents of their Cupboard of Happiness, but I still like the idea and think I ought to start again. So I think you should send me your lists. Whaddaya say? Keep in mind that it doesn't have to be an object. It can be absolutely anything that gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling.

To get you started, here are a few of the items one might find in my Cupboard of Happiness.
- The Ocean
- Pretty, delicate tea cups
- Laughing babies (do a search on YouTube! Instant happiness!)
- Salsa dancing
- A shelf full of books and a toasty fireplace to curl up beside
- Letters from friends
- Old fashioned typewriters
- Favourite cozy sweaters
- Baking a cake for someone special
- Hot weather
- Big, fat, fluffy peonies and lilac blossoms

I can't wait to see what makes you happy!
Love,
Gillian

2 comments:

Sheila said...

Here's a few of mine:

- Playing in the dirt
- That deep silence when you're in the mountains and it's snowing those huge fluffy flakes
- The first feeling when you sink into bed and pull the covers up to your chin
- Puppies and dogs
- Little kids trying to talk/crawl/walk or anything else new

D. Geoffrey Bell said...

- Playing music that suits the mood. I doesn't matter if it's blues...it just has to feel right for the moment.
- Being on the same wavelength as someone else when sharing a moment together. Not just in the romantic sense; it can be playing coy with a baby or having a fascinating conversation of playing music with another musician or teaching a child who is truly interested. The moments of synchronicity are magical!