What is happiness?

Sounds like a pretty deep topic, huh? My most recent MySpace blog I talked about the weather and I was told that was quite a boring subject. So I dug deep and decided to write today about happiness. What is happiness? I believe it's different for each individual but once you figure out what it is for you, it can be quite powerful.

So what is happiness for me? There are so many big things and small things. It could be as simple as hearing my nephew Caleb laugh at me making silly faces, or even him simply saying to me "Tia, I want to hold you." You know I snatch him up immediately when he says that. I fear that the time is coming near when he'll think that kisses from Tia are gross so I'm trying to get in as many as I can now.

Music - to me, that is what happiness is. Give me a good soulful song with powerful lyrics any day. That'll pick me up out of a foul mood in an instant. Isn't it amazing how songs can take you back to a specific memory? Every time I hear Stone Temple Pilots Interstate Love Song, I'm immediately whisked back to 1993. I'm driving my Ford Bronco across Shelby Farms, passing the buffalo, the windows are down and my hand is out the window. And, of course, I'm singing at the top of my lungs. And don't get me started on the Rev. Al Green and Otis Redding. WOW! My dear friend Chris used to tell me that I was an old black man trapped in a white woman's body. I love me some soul music. Every time I hear "These Arms of Mine" I just want to cry.

But then there's the big things, hearing my family and friends tell me they love me. Saying "I love you" is such a powerful thing to say to a person and it makes me smile anytime I hear it or say it. I feel so unbelievably blessed in my life. I have an amazing network of friends that I tell on a regular basis that I love them. As many of you know, my father passed away when I was 16 years old. Every single day of my life, he told me he loved me. At least a minimum of twice a day. Often it was more than that. When he passed, that was the largest void in my life. Having someone tell me that they loved me. Today alone I had 4 different people tell me that they loved me and only 2 were related or required to do so!

So what is happiness? Each day, something new comes in my life that makes me happy. I challenge each of you to discover what makes you happy. And once you figure it out - embrace it and make it repeat itself often.