Defining joy.

You are ever so graceful and eloquent with your words, and I admire that.

You write of love, of calm, of adventure of fear, of excitement,

next, can you write of happiness? 

You know those tiny moments that seemingly arise out of nowhere, on the most average of days? Moments that make your heart swell and your eyes crinkle and then you can't seem to produce anything other than a smile? And then your so full of inspiration there's a shower of falling stars in your core? This little email was sitting in my inbox this evening and it threw me for a loop, but in the best way possible.  

Happiness is all sorts of wonderful things to me -- warm things, soft things, deep, light, loving, amusing, special things. It's imagination and grace. My darling fiance and how our lives together are just beginning. My sweet family and friends. Smelling the change in the air from summer to harvest. The layer of salt and sand you acquire after spending the day in the ocean. A fierce workout that makes you proud to be you. The vastness of nature and the universe we all reside in. It's feeling and thinking and library-laughs and loving so deeply. Happiness is so immeasurable. I may not directly write of it, but it is quite the merit in my life -- much of what I share in this space is happiness.  

And this? This from a dear reader, is happiness bursting from the seams. Thank you.

I absolutely love this stuff. Inspiration, creativity -- goodness, I wish everybody would write. I want to read about what makes you glad. That being said, I will share with you part of my response to her: 

If I ignite a flame in just one person's being, enough that they feel, 

smile, think, write, or, like you -- who perhaps engaged in 

all four -- took the time to reach out to me,

then I feel my job is complete.  

-m.

Thoughts this evening.

Flora during my afternoon walks. Always always.

Oh let's talk about expectations. Let me take a moment and nod to my pesky, oftentimes overly sensitive feelings. There comes a time in one's grown up life where a path appears -- a fork in the road of circumstance if you will. One way basks in the bitterness of others' negativity. It's a disheartening boulevard I have roamed down too many times. The other direction, a lane where the air is crisp and the soul is free. The sun forever shines -- where things feel good because they are good and nothing else matters. Where no one can bring you down.

You can probably take a guess at which path I've meddled with as of late. And quite honestly, I'm burnt out.

So here's to letting all of that go. Shame on them for not being reliable, considerate, decent human beings. But shame on me for expecting anything different. Here's to protecting myself from other's negativity, and making a conscious, thoughtful decision not to be the emotional sponge. I will hold dear the beauty I already have around me. The love and the kindness that's already here.

And be done with all the rest.

Here.

I wanted to create a space where I keep things that make me happy, moments I can easily return to, outside of social media, outside of the confines of a square filtered photo, outside of 140 characters. Somewhere I can document my world the way I want to. Because life is too precious to ignore. 

I thought of making this private, just a sacred place for my eyes only, but then that would just be kind of selfish. I journal by hand anyway, so I’ll write out my best kept secrets there. This blog is a reminder of my findings of happiness. And to share them with you, whoever you are.