The Ministry of Happiness

Thoughts on a Hard Week & Simple Happiness

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death. ~ Robert Fulghum

It’s been a tough week, grief is a funny thing, it creeps up and hits you when you least expect it.  You feel good one minute and then something triggers it and the water works start.  It’s necessary, you have to work through these things, you bottle them up and you pop like a balloon.  But the process is slow and of course, when you’re already down you start to see and focus on the negatives all around you.  This week my grief exacerbated anything that went wrong, my car Cd player went south, my sleep patterns went to shit, I put on two pounds, etc… When you’re sliding into the well all of these things just push you deeper into the abyss.  A really interesting effect was it amped up my anxiety levels, I’m not a particularly anxious person, but I have been this week, hard week.

Sunset on the Tundra

However, a few things have also played into my favor this week.  First, the necessities, when things are wrong you have to make sure you are eating right, sleeping right and that you are safe.  Well I’m safe, I have a roof over my head, I’m eating well and working out every day but my sleep has been off horribly this week as to be expected.  But lack of sleep can be remedied and I slept in the other day.  It helps that in the middle of November I’m in Florida and the weather is good, it helps that it’s Fall, my favorite time of year, that I’m near the ocean which brings me peace and finally that it was Thanksgiving week.

I snuck away for the holiday to Mobile, AL to hold up in a Homewood Suite for a few days.  My current residence has minimal cooking potential and I love to cook and eat for Thanksgiving.  So the full kitchen in the hotel room, cable TV and a whirlpool tub meant, cooking (which I love to do), good eating, lots of football to watch and a big warm tub to relax in.  It was just what the Reverend ordered for himself.

Today my personal prescription was simple happiness, sun, sand and waves.  I spent an hour this afternoon walking the beach at Perdido Key.  It was a beautiful day in the seventies, the water was beautiful and I was luck to see some cool beach life.  A bunch of small mussels washed up and had to keep digging themselves back into the sand after each wave as they gradually moved back out off the surf line, amazing and beautiful to watch.

So remember my friends, when things go south, take care of the basics and find things that bring you pleasure and happiness.  Engage them as fully as possible and never forget about beauty whether in nature or in art, it has the ability to make you feel better.  So, the end of a hard week personally, a crazy week in the world and the optimism to expect better weeks to come with plenty of happy days my friends ~ Rev Kane