A friend that I don’t get to see very often came into town today. I met her and two other women back in 2000 when I began volunteering at the dolphin center. They and their husbands were “snowbirds” who came to the Florida Keys every winter. The three women helped train me in my volunteer duties and we all became friends. Over the years, their retirement plans changed and they ended up going to other places each winter, but they find a way to visit now and then.
The friend who came today, L, told me that she’ll visit again in February and one of the other ladies, B, is going to come for a few days with her. B is experiencing a tough time lately. Her husband has had a few strokes and is currently in a rehab center trying to build up his strength so that they can continue to live independently at an assisted living community. It’s been a rough road for her as she takes care of him, understandably so, but fortunately they live near family. The family is going to see that she gets some respite, hence the trip to see L in Florida.
When I learned that they’d also visit the Keys, I actually clapped my hands, rapidly, like a delighted little kid. Then L and I agreed, emphatically, that if the two of them are going to be here, the third friend, A, should be too. A and her husband are wintering in Arizona. I know them both and fired off an email to her husband saying that A should join L and B. Within an hour, we had an answering email that she’s going to come too!
During the afternoon, while watching L and her step-daughter play with some dolphins, I couldn’t stop grinning as I watched them have so much fun. It just felt right that she was back here visiting. I turned to a co-worker and said, “Seeing her here, knowing that the others will be here too the next time just makes my heart smile.”
I know that my heart doesn’t actually smile, but that’s how it felt. When I’m happy, it’s like everything inside me smiles as much as my mouth.
People who don’t see me very often have commented that I seem happier these days. Sometimes this makes me self-conscious. I can’t help but think back to the days before my weight loss and wonder if I was plodding around with some aura of sadness that I didn’t realize. I’ve since come to the conclusion that it isn’t so much that I was dragged down or mired in depression. It’s just that right now, I’m on such a roll of positive energy and wonderful transformation. It’s natural that this energy is going to manifest as extreme happiness. I feel so great physically, mentally and emotionally, how can it not show?
When your heart smiles, it lights you up from the inside out.
I think it’s important to keep looking for and experiencing things that make my heart smile. It’s an excellent way to live.
Perhaps I’ll make a list. Losing weight, working out, long walks on the bridge, warm cuddles with my dogs, spending time with friends I don’t see very often. Reading stories from friends who are making improvements in their lives. Waking up to a beautiful sunrise. Those are just a handful. It isn’t important that I list them all. It only matters that I know these things exist; That I appreciate them and feel the effect that they have on my spirit. They add quality to my life in immeasurable ways and I’m better, and happier, as a result.
So tell me, please, what makes your heart smile?
Weighty Matters 
You know, I’m always a lot happier when I eat right and exercise. Junk food makes me moody, because my blood sugar jumps and then drops. And working out gives me all sorts of endorphins. I wouldn’t be surprised if you really were happier in general these days!
Also, my heart smiles when my daughter laughs.
My heart smiles when I’m doing what I feel is right for me and my loved ones. Everyone’s path is different, and as long as the ground is solid beneath my feet, I’m good 🙂 I’m focusing on one thing at a time, and doing it to my satisfaction. Feels good.
And even though I don’t know you or Skye, my heart always smiles when I read your posts because you’re both so honest as you seek to change your lives to how you want to live. Skye, you mentioned remembering to be happy. Knowing what makes us happy and acknowledging that is so important.
Best wishes to us all 🙂
Susanne
What makes my heart smile?
Reading stories like these from you that tell about how fabulous you feel. Visits with close friends, even if it’s just lunch. Babies. A purring cat in my lap. Sunshine (yeah, that will be rarer in Seattle) pouring into the windows or onto my body. Spending time talking or online chatting with a good friend. Remembering to be happy, because I can forget.
You inspire me, you really do, to appreciate what I have and the gains I make and to look for those gains and give myself kudos for them. And that makes my heart smile.