Happy

Her arms teetered wildly at first and then slowing down they became steady as her tiny feet walked the cobblestone boarder while waiting for the bus. Her back was toward me and I wondered if her face was showing shear determination or a slight smile. I heard the excited sound come from her lips as she neared the end, filled with pride that she had accomplished what she set out to do. As she finished and turned toward me it was as if she was lit up like a Christmas tree. Pure happiness. 

Her smile reached her eyes, her cheeks were rosy and she sparkled a little extra.

The bus finally pulled up and we all kissed, hugged, and some of us cried as the kids went off to start their 

first day of the school year.

As "A" was getting on the bus, she turned to me and said "Mom, this is going to be a good day."

When the bus pulled away I wondered if she truly 'got it'. 

Which lead me to my next thought - 

if what I have been telling her since she was able to understand me had sunk in. 

When she would pout, cry or even scream -- I would turn to her and ask her, " 'A', everyday you have a choice - to be happy or sad - what do you choose today?" and everyday she would say happy. 

Then it got to the point that all I would have to do is look at her and she would know. 

No words were ever said as she got older, just the intense stare down. 

Then she would scream - 

"I knooooow, don't say it...I'm HAAAPPPPPPPPPYYYYY" and burst into tears. 

Yeah, I'm not sure if it was really getting through to her or she is going to need years of therapy for it.

I heard a saying once that stuck with me. It moved me so much that I don't think a day goes by that I don't think of it. It puts things into perspective for me and makes me feel that we are personally in charge and capable of our destiny...if perhaps by only changing our attitude.

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. 

We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... 

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. 

And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our attitudes."

- Charles Swindoll

The next day at the bus stop the happy girl was giggling and chasing a dragonfly. 

I liked her. I liked her spirit. Her spunk. Her glee. 

I wondered why children's dispositions are so different. 

Is it their environment, society, genetic or their parents influence? 

As we waved again to our children on the bus and yelled out our goodbyes...the father of the happy little girl said "Make it a good day." I froze. I did. It was, dare I say, epic. Not 'have a good day', but make it one.

Did you make it one today?