We probably broke at least 65 University rules by lighting a candle to start our first Happiness class today. We spent a few minutes writing about stress -- it was a very messy day with snow and ice trying the nerves of any and everyone attempting to get to the U for the first day of classes.
Then we switched gears and wrote about something -- however small -- that had made us happy in the past day or so.
One student said it was returning to school, seeing her roommate after a month-long holiday break -- they cranked up the music (Backstreet Boys!) and danced around their dorm room together!
Another student said that she had been overjoyed to find a parking spot exactly where she needed one.
A third student said he had heard from a friend that he'd met in a meditation class, and was delighted to reconnect.
For me, the moment occurred as I was walking across the ice-crusted campus weighed down with four bags full of schoolbooks and other gear. It had taken a lot longer to drive the 40 miles from home to school and I'd had to take my husband's car as we had an accident in mine on Saturday night (hitting a chunk of ice -- it left us with two wrecked tires and a damaged rim). My husband's car hesitates going into first gear and let me just say, I hate driving that vehicle (not him, he loves the car, go figure.)
Anyway, there I was, arms full of school junk, laden down and stressed because I was arriving on campus late when suddenly I noticed a student peering up into the snowy pine trees. She was taking a picture of the beautiful ice-coated pine trees! I glanced at the scene that she was capturing and smiled.
It was a winter wonderland, for sure, the pine branches sparkling and icy and gorgeous.
I smiled and thought how grateful I was that this stranger had showed me a moment of pure beauty on a lovely winter day!
And I'm particularly happy that you are sharing this class online. Thank you! I can't recall if your extensive reading list includes Jane Kenyon's marvel of a poem, "Happiness" or if you've mentioned it elsewhere. It awes me to know that Kenyon, a former poet laureate of New Hampshire, had written it after learning that she had terminal cancer: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=28400
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