I have written and deleted so many words for this entry. It's a good thing I wasn't using real paper. What a waste of trees. Instead I have a virtual trash can of crumpled text. I thought about telling you about Terry's impromptu cookout Saturday, but as I started it began to feel like a list. Really the evening was a soothing balm. It was just a simple gathering in a backyard around a campfire with good people and lots of booze. I drank too much and passed out on Terry's couch. I got up around 2 AM to use the bathroom and Terry was just shutting down the lights in the kitchen. He hugged me like I was a little kid and asked me if I was OK. I mumbled a "yes" into his shirt followed with "I need to pee". He patted my head and said "OK" and that was that. Then we all went to sleep. Simple as that.

"The disturbers of happiness are our desires, our griefs, and our fears." - Samuel Johnson

That quote showed up in one of my recent Happiness Project newsletters. It reminded me of the conversations from that night. Talks of trying to be on a budget and figuring out where all the money goes. Confessions of worry about elderly parents and/or grandparents. The effort it takes to push yourself to get off the couch. Every single one of us had at least one of those three things disturbing our happiness in some way. And here is where I have to remind myself that there is no such thing as perfect or perfect happiness ALL the time. I have to remind myself that it's OK to have desires, griefs and fears because those are the things that makes us really appreciate those simple moments of happiness.

In that backyard that night we all had the opportunity to toss those desires, griefs and fears into the flames of that campfire and just be happy. The hangover was worth it.

Happy Love Thursday!