Last weekend I took out my little girl, Emma, for a Girl's Day. We went to the park, drove around downtown blasting music, had a picnic in the park and fed the ducks. It was a fantastic day. Now (for those of you who are knew to my posts) when I call her "My Little Girl" I don't mean that she is my daughter; I love her like she's mine, but she is in no way related to me. That being said, I always have a great time when Emma and I go out. Normally I'm so wrapped up in that feeling of happiness that only being with a child can give you, that I don't notice much else. This past weekend, however, something caught my attention.
I was hit on more when I was out with Emma because guys thought I was her single mother than I have in any other situation. Let me run that one by you again: I had more guys flirting with me when they thought I was a 24 year old single-mother than when they think I'm just a single 24 year old female.
I was completely baffled by this observation. I simply couldn't understand it. I thought that most guys would avoid flirting with a woman my age knowing that she had a child for fear of being tied down, or having to take on lots of responsibility at such a young age themselves. When I asked one of my guy friends what he thought about this phenomenon, he made a valid point.
Trevor: Have you ever seen yourself when you're with kids? You light up! You're beautiful normally, but when you're with your kids, you are absolutely gorgeous. You have a 1,000 Watt smile and you beam with love. When you are with your kids, you are truly happy.
He's right. Being with my kids is my Happy Place: that time where nothing is wrong, there is lots of laughter, and you are completely content with yourself. As juvenile as it sounds, I think that everyone needs a happy thought. They can be a way of escaping a terrible situation, they get help you out of your mental-funk, and just put you in a better mood in general. A lot of people use them:
In "Peter Pan", it is revealed that the only thing Wendy, Michael, and John need to do in order to fly is to "think of wonderful thought. Any happy little thought." (Of course, there is a small matter of Pixie dust, but that isn't something the children can control.) The Happy Thought is what enables flight.
When actor Adam Sandler takes on the role of "Happy Gilmore" for the self-titled movie, he also finds himself using a Happy Thought to get himself in a better frame of mind and overcome obstacles. When Happy tries to beat Shooter McGavin in a golfing tournament he turns to his "Happy Thought" to get the job done, and it works.
In the movie "A Little Princess" Sara is young girl in a school for girls. Sarah is orphaned and made a servant in the school so that she may work off some of her debt. At one point, the Head-Mistress threatens to call the police and have Sara thrown out on the streets with no form of shelter or food. To help herself make it through the night without having a nervous breakdown, Sara pretends that the tiny, dirty old attic is covered with expensive clothes (instead of the rags she is wearing), silver platters covered with food (instead of admitting she hasn't eaten in days) and that she has a soft, warm bed to sleep comfortable on (instead of laying on the floor where the boards are soaked through.) But because she imagined all this as her Happy Thought, Sara was able to make it through the night and into a better day.
Whatever your Happy Thought is, keep it with you when you are having a bad day. Go to your Happy Place when it seems like the world couldn't be any worse, and find the light that your thought brings about. when you are truly happy, you will look it. You will feel more confident, outgoing, and more beautiful. Audrey Hepburn is quoted as saying, "I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls." And I think she has a point.
It's freezing and our hair is a mess. But we don't care because we're happy when we're together.
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