Happiness Ahead

Yesterday, we had take out Chinese food and at the end of the meal; I always break my fortune cookie and read my fortune. Yesterday, I took a cookie, broke it open, ate a very tiny piece (they usually have trans fat in them) and read the fortune The fortune said – Happiness is ahead of you – never behind. I told my husband to open his cookie but this time, there had been only the one I opened. So I gave my husband the broken cookie and the fortune and I told him that this was indeed a fortune we could share. He heartily agreed. Today I had a thought – While it was only a silly fortune cookie, to me it represented something more; something I haven’t felt in a very long time – Hope. For thirty-nine years, my husband and I have been pretty happy. We enjoy the life we have built together. We enjoy our home, our dog and each other’s company. And despite all that we have been through these past years, I do believe that our happiness may well be in front of us – and not behind. These days, I think less and less of what has happened in our past. What is there to really think about? Abusive behavior, hurt feelings, bad memories, Not much happiness there, is there? I would much prefer to think about what will happen today and what can happen tomorrow – because these are the places where our happiness truly resides. There are a lot of good things on tap for us, and they not too far down the road. Spring is coming, we have some events and occasions we are looking forward to, and there may even be a surprise or two in the cards….stay tuned! I guess what I am saying is that if our happiness is really ahead of us, then we need to be headed straight for it – or at least traveling in it’s direction. There may be obstacles in our path or bad weather or fog – things that can hide that next horizon where it patiently waits for us. But ‘ya know what? Those obstacles usually can be moved (or pushed) out of the way, the clouds part, the fog lifts and low and behold, there it is – within our reach at last. And then, all we have to do is reach out and grab it…and it is ours.