I’ve been talking a lot about things that are unpleasant or challenging. I want to talk about something pleasant for a change. And I want to hear from you. I am for the first time in a while with some free time for more than a weekend, and I don’t know what to do with it. Why? Because I still don’t know the answer to a question my mom asked me awhile back: What makes me happy? So I want to talk about a few things that could answer that question.

I thought the answer was always my children, and now my grandchildren. But that can’t be the only response. Other people can’t be the only reason that you are happy. There have to be other things that you enjoy that make you smile. The only thing that I have loved and still do is reading. I’ve thought about joining a book club, and maybe I will if I find like-minded people who love the same genres and/or authors I do. I know I used to listen to music a lot, but I don’t anymore because I was always too busy and the only time I actually heard anything was while riding in a car. I used to be artistic – drawing, painting, or sculpting. I haven’t picked up any art materials in a very long time, but maybe I can again? I also liked to dance, but I don’t anymore for the first reason. I even enjoyed going to restaurants and movies alone. I can definitely do that during this hiatus. And travel has always been a joy, so I’m going to commit to getting to somebody’s beach soon.

Life is short, but it also takes up a lot of time. I want to keep spending time with my children and grandchildren, but I also want to spend time with me. What about you? What are some of your make-me-happy possibles?