just my little corner of the internet in which to bare my soul about this bear of a journey







Sunday, December 4, 2011

The happiest time in my life

The other day I was asked to identify the happiest time in my life.  I thought for a few minutes and then it dawned on me and I blurted out "2008".  The whole year?  Well, ok, not December.  But for the most part the other 11 months of 2008 were probably the happiest times of my life.  Why? 

Well, there are many reasons.  First and foremost is that it was a low stress year.  2008 (excluding December and part of November of course) was the only year in the past 6 or 7 years that hasn't been dominated by something terribly Big and Important.  I didn't have to worry about a thesis, graduation, scholarships, moving, weddings, etc.  I was secure, content, and really happy.  There were also a few incredibly fun events that year, such as a long visit from my wonderful friend Mohammed, a family trip to Saudi Arabia, the sand dunes, Beaver Island, and a friend's wedding in Chicago.  I liked my classes but I didn't have to live and breathe school.  I was also a couple of pounds lighter, but whatever.


                                                                 Beaver Island, MI


This doesn't mean that I'm unhappy now.  On the contrary, this has been an exciting three years since 2008 ended.  Mike and I moved East, expanded our horizons, got addicted to Indian food, really lived on our own, and developed friendships with some amazing people.  Our journeys now, although separated by three continents, are also exciting.  But was I happier in 2008 than I am now?  Yes.  And it's up to me and only me to do all that I can to make 2012 as good as or better than 2008.  Wish me luck!


I think this is a really good exercise.  Too often we think about being happy in the future.  We think to ourselves, 'well, I'll be happy when it's summer break, when I get that raise, when my kid is potty-trained, etc.'  But we rarely think back on past years and identify our happiest times, whether to just count our blessings or try to get back what once was.  Thinking about the past might seem counterproductive to living in the moment but it needn't be.  It can prod us to get in touch with old friends, make time for that morning walk again, appreciate how far we've come.  I was also inspired by this article, which reminded me that so often happiness is a choice

And because I love quotes, I leave you with two that I've been thinking about as I've reflected on 2008 being the happiest time for me.  The first is from one of my favorite poems and the second is from a song I really like.  If you only click on one link, make it the first.  Szymborska is so profound it hurts.

"As far as you've come can't be undone" ~ Wislawa Szymborska, from "On Death, Without Exaggeration"

"What I never did is done" ~ The Band Perry, from "If I Die Young"

Silver Lake, MI


1 comment:

  1. You being insane with your memory of dates makes this easier for you than me:) What was 2008 again? I guess 08 was a good year (even though it marked the official beginning of the recession), I think because it was a period of time where we could enjoy ourselves on a daily basis while knowing the general direction of what would be around the corner. I think with grad school (for both of us), we know less clearly what's around the corner than if we (semi) regularly paid for it. My rambly point being that because we are in a phase of life where we are working to improve our skills at something we intend to be our careers, it feels like we're waiting for those things to start, and we are more consciously aware of the passage of time, which is a good and a bad thing. If there's any uncertainty or disappointment or 2nd thinking in the decisions we've made, then the time feels stressful.

    I think 2012 will kill ass, and it's right around the corner!

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