Quotable You: “Not All Were Sprinkled With Happiness…”

A dear friend has a favorite saying she shares as needed.  Words of wisdom told to her by a boss early in her work life.  Since she had her 99th birthday a few months back, one can assume she knows what she is talking about.

“This Too Shall Pass!”  she confidently assures…

A simple reminder to step back and put the drama or stress of the moment in perspective.  It seems pretty self-evident, but think of how often we get caught up in the emergency of the moment and let it become all-consuming.  Or how many times we let harsh words or negative encounters mushroom into a lifetime supply of negative energy that we carry on our back for days on end.

Whether the dark cloud is self-inflicted or generated by forces beyond our control, we need to remind ourselves that life isn’t meant to be lived in anger, sorrow, and regret.

Joy is waiting to happen.  Delight and wonder are bubbling up all around us.  We just need to take a moment to look around at all the special somethings waiting to break through the gloom and make us smile.

The somethings can be as universal as a beautiful sunrise or a kitten playing…

As personal as your dog’s jaunty sashay with ear tips flopping in rhythm …

As unexpected as a bird’s song or stranger’s smile …

As  energetic as a windowsill full of sun-powered motion toys doing their happy dance …

As peaceful as a babbling brook or a baby sleeping…

Or, as sharable as a Steward Perkins’ Storyshucker tale “sprinkled with happiness”…

Desserts waited for me in neat rows behind glass at the end of the line where Mama paid for lunch. As she did, I looked over pudding options searching for those with sprinkles on top. There were many desserts but not all were sprinkled with happiness and I became frustrated if I could find none. Mama waited patiently for me to discover them, knowing I’d just not seen them yet.

“Sometimes you really have to look for sprinkles.” Mama said. “Just keep looking.”

Stewart Perkins, from Look For Sprinkles posted at Storyshucker

So what little moments break through the gloom and make you smile in spite of yourself? Do you look for “sprinkles” or do you wait for them to happen?

Have you read a Steward Perkins’ story?

STEWART PERKINS

Writer and storyteller
Blogger at Storyshucker
Human observer
Cow appreciator

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