Magic of Happiness

you hear all the time of people talking about the power of happiness.  what it does for the psyche along with what it does for one's health.  each day i wake up i see what people mean more and more.  you really don't see what something as simple as a smile can do for someone until your in the position i am in.

i have seen what almost every emotion can do for one's body.  until you are living with or dating someone who is "ill," you really take for granted how important something as simple as happiness is for some one.

i remember a time i was waiting tables at Texas Roadhouse, and an older woman was looking at herself in a mirror as she waited for her husband.  she looked upset as she was rubbing around her eyes.  i walked up, being the nosey person that i am, asked her what was wrong.  she told me she felt so old because of all the "crows feet" around her eyes.

hearing this kind of bothered me.  i never viewed crows feet as a negative thing on anyone.  in fact i find it one of the more better features on an older person.  i asked her why she viewed them such a negative thing.  she told me it was because it showed her age and she felt it made her look older than she was.  this is something that i have heard a lot of women complain about.  i sat down next to her, looked in the mirror at her reflection, i am really a people person make it my goal at my job to make people smile as much as possible.  i looked at her as she frowned at her reflection and lightly touched around her eyes.  she looked at me with a questioning look and i just smiled.

she asked me what i thought was so funny.  i looked back at the reflection in the mirror and told her not to ever look at a single one of her "crows feet" as something negative, but as something positive.  a slight smile came across her face as she asked me what i meant.  that's when i pointed out something people over look.  i pointed to her eyes and said you see what just happened?  she looked back.  that's when i asked, "you had a great life didn't you?  you smiled a lot and you were very happy."  she looked back at me with a smile on her face.

at this time tables around me were watching us.  with that smile on her face she said yes she did and asked how i could tell.  i told her that each one of those crows feet around her eyes were caused from all the years of smiling she had done.  that crows feet should never be looked at as something negative, but as something positive.  it's a sign to the outside world just how happy and joyful your life was.

she looked at me, tears swelling in her eyes, and gave me a hug.  i could since the smiles on the faces of the people around me as i hugged her back.  she pulled back and thanked me.  she told me it was the greatest birthday gift she could be given that day.  i got up holding her hand and told her, there is no reason to thank me.  just remember that the smallest things show some of the brightest parts of some one's soul.  i then walked away and continued my job.

this morning i was laying with Brandon after i made him some eggs and hash browns and toast for breakfast.  as i have said many times before, i take care of my man.  he was holding me close as we were laughing about something stupid.  anyone who would hear our conversations or our time together would swear we were little middle schoolers in our first relationship.  we really do talk about the dumbest and grossest things you could think of.

he asked me if i could remember a time where i smiled or laughed as much as i do with him.  i asked him what he meant.  he said since you met me, when was the last time you have laughed this much? i told him, and i said with complete honesty, i don't remember.  i don't think there has ever been a time i have smiled as much as i do with him.

it wasn't until i met this amazing man that i realized just how important happiness is for someone.  not only for your spirit, but also for your health.  i have seen him upset, depressed, angry, happy and stressed.  each emotion i have seen take its toll on his health.  you can see it in his face.  i never really noticed it on anyone else, maybe it shows more on him because of his CF.  each emotion takes something from the body or gives something back.

the stress just drains the color out of his face.  but the happiness, there is something about happiness that you can just see in someone.  it brightens the room.  not just Brandon, but anyone has this power to brighten the day of anyone around them.  when i work, many people would tell me when i wasn't happy it would mess up their day.  until i met Brandon i never understood how one person's mood can ruin everyone around them. today i can see what they mean.

the positivity can bring the mood of everyone around them to new levels. sit there for just a moment and think about how you react when you are in a bad mood and someone or a group of people who are in a good mood come around you.  you can't help but be happy.

we all take for granted just how strong something as simple as happiness can be.  in the case of someone with CF, or any illness for that matter, it can add months if not years to their life.  i know it's not something great to think about, but when you are dealing with something like a life threatening disease, staying as happy and positive as possible is important.

i know when i get older, thanks to Brandon, i am gonna have some wrinkled eyes.  i can say without a shadow of a doubt i have never been happier than i am now.  my life is brighter now thanks to him that it would take one hell of a rain cloud to darken my skies.  to find someone who can do this to you, and see that you return the favor to them, is rare these days.

i wake up each morning with Brandon laying next to me, and i wake up each morning with a smile on my face.  when he walks in a room, i don't need to turn a light on, because he brings a smile on my face as i bring one to his.  our lives aren't easy, and for a long time they won't be, but being together and bringing this level of happiness to each other's lives is one of the greatest gifts we can give each other.  we live a simple life, because life doesn't have to be about material objects, but about the time you spend together.  those will be the memories that last a life time.  these simple times we spend together, hold each other at night, cooking dinner together, my arms wrapped around him as we stand on the porch as the rain gently falls down around us, those are the memories that will bring a smile on my face the day he leaves.  those are the memories that will create the deepest crows fee around my eyes.  those will be the memories, and the happiest days i will remember each time i look in the mirror.

never underestimate the power of happiness, because it will see you threw the darkest of days.