Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings and once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. ~ Elizabeth Gilbert
Many things happen each day which make me grateful for this journey we are on. I witness the powerful impact on our boys and their awareness and connection with humanity. Today, I want to share a couple of these precious moments. This evening, as we traveled across the river on a small boat, we passed an impoverished village. Two little boys were happily rowing on a mattress near us. This photo captures our boys watching them. After realizing it was a mattress, they thought the boys were so creative and wanted to get on there with them. The four of them stared at each other and seconds later, each waved and smiled very sincere and thoughtful smiles. Later, as we strolled through the night market, a woman asked for change while her little girl was asleep on her lap. The boys stopped and asked what we could do to help her. My husband gave them money to put in her cup. They still seemed unsettled and affected. We proceeded a little further and Pierce stopped me and said, “Mommy, let’s go back there and give her our drinks. I don’t need mine and I’m sure she’s thirsty because it’s so hot. ” These are the moments. The joy and pride I feel being their mother and being a part of introducing them to all that surrounds us. The love and compassion in their hearts amaze me.
โฅ๏ธ Sandy
