DIrtY versus HAPpy: 2008 resolutions

I just came from my bedroom where I have been breathing deeply and staring at the ceiling for 30 minutes. Why? Because I was trying to help Griffin calm down in order to take a nap. Since he has been on holiday from nursery school we have reinstituted the afternoon nap (which I am sure will cause some friction next week when he is at school trying to function during this time but is, nonetheless, needed).

Poor Griffin was sobbing that he was mad, mad, mad because he wanted to watch Pingu (a Swedish cartoon about a penguin) and he did NOT want to take a nap. I felt for him, really I did, even if there were no actual tears coming from his sweet little tear ducts and the circles under his eyes were the same violet shade as twilight. But, he never actually said he wasn't tired, just that he didn't want to take a nap. He acknowledged that it was not a matter to cry about and I praised him for using his words to express how he was feeling.

As we both became quiet, I gazed around at my surroundings in the context of my 2008 resolutions. There are, of course, a load of resolutions I have made - from the silly (walk around the gym locker room nude) to the overreaching (become a better person). One of the important ones, however, is to "Go Green," as in the environmental movement. I want to reduce my carbon footprint (or whatever...) but I also want to be smarter with my money, the other "green." It also would be nice if MSU (green & white) could beat UM next year on the football field but that one is beyond my control.

The topic in the second hour of The Diane Rehm Show today was about living happily. Her guest was discussing different societies' happiness levels, with Bhutan being as close to Shangri-La as you can get in real life. One of the things the guest mentioned was that people who are materialistic tend to have a much lower level of happiness

It should be noted at this point that any of this information may have been misinterpreted by me, or I could be just plain incorrect, as I was listening to the show, answering endless questions about the Batman, and cursing myself for not getting out to the grocery store earlier in the day as Bela started to doze.

A caller suggested that people who want to be happy should learn to count their blessings, a noble feat indeed, but it made me wonder "how does one do this?" So I will be working out the answer to that question. There seems to be a superficial way of doing this (comparing one's own life situation to another who is not so lucky) but I want more and I know from observing the people I love that it is possible.

For example, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer at Thanksgiving. She is halfway through her chemotherapy and is simultaneously undergoing radiation. The amazing thing is how upbeat her attitude is. She is grateful for not being sick or losing her hair yet due to the chemo, and seems to be taking it all in stride. It is the last thing in the world I would want to happen to her, or anyone that I love, but I admire her strength. I am inspired by it. She has a very strong faith (although she is not a regular churchgoer) and a very strong sense of self, I think. So maybe that is wherein the answer lies. Anyway, dear reader, please pray for her, because that helps too.

Regarding the title of this post: DIrtY versus HAPpy. This is my interpretation of a common acronym (Do-It-Yourself) and a new one that I came up with today, laying on my bed, looking at the blue walls and ceiling that are the same color as they were before we moved into this house. HAPpy is the adapted acronym for Hire-A-Professional. I want to hire someone to paint my walls. I don't know how this fits with the "green" resolution, particularly the part about being smarter with my money (I could be environmentally-conscious by purchasing low-VOC paint), except that it is the only thing I want for that room. So, I postulate, perhaps this means that I am becoming less of a materialist?

If you are reading this post, please share your New Year's resolution in the Comments section.