4 Things That Make Me Happy
2021 is a year that I’d love to forget. It just wouldn’t quit. The worst parts were losing a dear friend by suicide, while my family and I dealt with 2 life-threatening health crises, all as the world continued to burn. That summer, my GP and I agreed that seeking out happiness and contentment should take a more prominent place in my arthritis self-care plan, and this investment continues to pay dividends.
Here’s my list of happy makers!
Butterflies
I’ve been hand raising butterflies for years. It’s an out there hobby suited for strange detail-oriented people able to weather long odds and frustration.
The caterpillars or future butterflies are famous for their resilience and dramatic transformations. Many of them come in wild colors with stripes. Like other babies, they fall asleep in the middle of eating. And have a habit of peeking out from their hiding places. This adds up to ultra cute!
Baseball on the radio
After warm weather and butterflies, baseball is the best thing about summertime. I like that the game is slow, calm, and relatively quiet in a loud and chaotic world. And despite modern innovations, the game has remained recognizable to the players and fans of bygone eras.
Listening to games on the radio is a bit old fashioned, but a good team in the booth and the ballpark sounds behind them make it the next best thing to being there. The Detroit Tigers have an excellent radio broadcast. Dan calls the play-by-play, and Jim (or an assistant) gives the color. They manage to combine just the right amount of detail, stories, and jokes and observations to make each game special.
Chanel Perfume
My chosen sister Danica gave me my first bottle of Chanel during my first year of eldercare, just when I needed it most.
Providing The Dude’s dementia care was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done because it required patience, learning new skills, and forcing myself to set aside much of what I wanted and needed from life for a person who couldn’t and wouldn’t appreciate my help.
Most days came with a mix of anxiety, frustration, and a test of endurance. My beautiful bottle of perfume became a talisman against these difficult surroundings.
These days, I rely on it to be that pretty little something on my side table and around my wrist.
Knit & crochet
I grew up around lots of talented folks capable of doing art, crafts, and woodworking. A late bloomer, my powers came in the third and fourth decades of my life.
I taught myself to crochet in 2007 and started knitting in 2022. Both activities are enjoyable for the same reasons. They begin with sticks, yarn, and an idea, but end with something that wouldn’t exist without the effort we put in.
Honorable mention
There’s nothing like a frozen pizza on a busy day, especially if I’ve been out shopping or running errands. These days, I get one with a carb conscious cauli or garbanzo crust.
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