Yes, I'll take happiness please, though not the "ignorance is bliss" type.
Even though I am quite aware of all the unpleasantries in the world, I make the choice each day to try to stay positive. I grew up in a family where my mom and sisters were all diagnosed with depressive disorders, my mom's being the worst of all (bipolar). There was not a lot of happiness in our house, and everyone was focused on their own misery and communicating it to everyone else. I made the conscious decision somewhere along the line that I was going to MAKE myself be in a good mood whenever possible. Of course, I still have days when I just want to crawl in a hole and be a grump, but that's what I tend to do - stay away from people so I don't rain on their parade. At work I have cultivated the fine art of appearing happy when I really just want to scream
. And I am on the anti-depressant Zoloft (Prozac's cousin) for migraines, which has the beneficial side effect of balancing my mood swings, so I find I am much easier to get along with now. Things that used to really set me off can now be dealt with more calmly.
I really am fortunate that I haven't had any major catastrophes in my life so far - it's easy to be positive when you haven't been tested, I guess. Hopefully I will have the strength to deal with whatever may come my way.
The legend says that Mohammed adored cats. When one of them was sleeping on his sleeve and he had to go out, Mohammed supposedly cut off the sleeve so as not to disturb his pet.
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast - Proverbs 12:10
How we behave toward cats here below determines our status in heaven. - Robert A. Heinlein
What greater gift than the love of a cat? ~ Charles Dickens
There is, incidently, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person. - Dan Greenberg
If purring could be encapsulated, it'd be the most powerful anti-depressant on the market. ~Alexis F. Hope
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