Happiness Takes Moxie

Happiness is a slippery minx sometimes.  Many of us are very, very busy, but busy does not equal happiness.  I want happiness.  I want it every day, for the rest of my life.  And I.  Will.  Have.  It.

I want to bring joy to the lives of the people I love best and least.  I want to slow down and be present in those moments of pure joy---not just the 'big' moments, but the little moments of an inside joke, a secret look exchanged that leads to a quiet, knowing smile, a note of kindness, a night around the table telling stories.  This picture below is me caught in a random moment of joy in the kitchen of a restaurant in Antwerp, Belgium. I remember how I felt that night---that easy happiness, that moment of belonging.  I want that.  I want more of that.  I want that for me, and I want that for you. 

I have been loved by some of the very best men, and one of them taught me to look at the world with "cante ista", a Lakota phrase meaning "the eyes of the heart."  I want to do that.  I want to do that every day.  It's not easy, and God knows I fail at it some days when my frustration gets the best of me as I deal with some fools, but I try, I do try to look past the outfit and the appearance and look at how people really are in their quiet selves, in their quiet moments, away from everyone else.  I want to know you, truly, so that I can remind you of all the best things about you when you forget them, and we can enjoy parts of our own little walkabouts together for a while or for a lifetime.

This blog is my sanctuary, my thinking space, my place to pull together recipes and readings, pictures and stories, travel around the world and all the people who teach me things along my own little walkabout.  Each day I will find something to be happy about.  Sometimes I will write about the lack of happiness and love and joy, but those of us who have lived out loud know that the lack of those things sometimes helps one see the love and joy we missed the first time.  It sure helps us be better at recognizing and appreciating those things the next time they come around.  For that reason, no story, no adventure, no encounter is wasted---each is meaningful, each has impact and leaves an impression.  Learn from my mistakes and save yourselves some time, and then share your lessons with me, so that I learn how to better love and support you, also, as we figure out this little life together.

In the words of me in my wiser (and wine fueled) moment, "I don't always get it right, but I sure as hell have the moxie to try." Now let's go be happy together :-)