An old friend recently sent me a short video with a text that said, “Remember this?” Her family had been on an outing and the video showed her son rolling down a grassy hill. Immediately, a lump caught in my throat and my eyes misted over. I traveled back to 1979 (a trip so long and far, I almost needed a passport) when a group of us picnicked at San Diego’s Presidio Park. Even though we were too old for such a thing, we started spontaneously rolling down the park’s undulating hills of grass. Even at 51, my heart was filled with profound happiness remembering that 35-year old afternoon.
Why was my happiness so pure and genuine? Probably because I wasn’t “planning” what would “make” me happy that day. Instead, I was with people I loved, I was communing with nature, I was very much in The Moment and connected to The Now, and I had no preconceived notions about how things were so supposed to turnout.
I just was happy.
Because I just was.
And if I can be that happy at 16 and have that feeling travel over three decades and feel it again, then just maybe that was one time I got it right. TZT