triggers

My dad has this thing for organizing and cleaning out his garage. Among the many moves I made as a young adult, back and forth from college and such, he has kept many of my old things boxed up waiting for me to take. In his lack of patience throughout the last few years to see the boxes go, I have little by little taken what belongs to me.

Well it was during my sister vacation this summer that many of her things were in question. My Dad had a box of stuff that was going to the DI/Good Will if they were not claimed. So of course I found myself looking through the box, I have a thing for anything that reminds me of my childhood, and found this very cool little vintage looking plaque that read, "Think happy".



Seeing it again triggered a flood of memories from my childhood. I have to be honest, I'm not sure whose it was, but I can remember it hanging on a wall and looking at it each time I passed. I always really liked the simplicity of the illustration, but don't know that I thought much about it passed that. It just, well, it made me happy to see.

My sister really didn't care whether I took it or not, which was good because when I saw it I knew I had to have it. I'm not sure why I was so attached to it, like I said I don't even think it was mine, but seeing it again reminded me that happiness is a choice and that knowledge is something I am desperate to teach my children. I know not everyday is a good day, but I know each day we can find something to smile about...how I wish I had understood that years ago. So I decided it would have a permanent home in our kitchen, a place my girls would see it frequently and hopefully be reminded that happiness is within their reach and completely up to them.

And perhaps on a bad day it can be the one thing to help them smile.