Your Happy is Too Loud...or... I Love a Good Party!

So, recently someone said that my life was "too happy" and that it couldn't be THAT good.  It was an interesting thought, and I have pondered that comment.  What did that comment mean?  Was I somehow being what people would call "fake" and putting on a front?  Should I not be celebrating life quite as much as I do?  Am I just too happy?  Should I be sadder? Am I bragging? Should I not celebrate the good things in my life to avoid making someone else feel bad?  Should I talk more about my issues and less about my blessings? And here's the big question, is my life perfect?

My answer to that last question would be a resounding yes and an absolute no.  In truth?  No one has a life completely free of worry, concern, challenges, stress, issues, etc...  So, no, my life isn't "perfect" in that sense.  And if I have given anyone that impression, it's a false one. I have plenty of worries, concerns, and issues that I deal with in my life.   No, things aren't perfect in my life.  And I am not going to discuss all the bad, worrisome, troubling, concerning things I deal with.  Some issues I'm very open about.  Some are more private and are kept between me and a few close trusted friends/family.  That doesn't make the issues less real.

However, I have chosen to not make my issues the primary focal point of my life.  I'm not hiding from them or ignoring them.  I'm just choosing to widen my focus.  You see, if I focused on only the bad things, I could.  I could become what I call an ""Eeyore" person.  You know, everything is grey, and sad, and bad, and everyone is out to get me. I could become that little black cloud of doom, talking only about how bad things are in my life, this country, this world.  I could become a big, gapping, black hole of negativity.  That sounds like fun (said sarcastically).  And that might make some people feel better about my life.  But in truth, it's my life, and I don't want to live that way. Ever.

You know what I find interesting about some of the stories in the Bible?  You'll find this mostly in the old testament, but when something good happened, they celebrated!  They threw a big party!  They wrote joyful songs about the event.  They laughed, and danced and shouted out loud!  Oh, and my favorite-- they feasted! And you will see several times in scripture where they turned these events into annual celebrations to help them remember the good things that had happened.  Those are my kind of people!  I love a good party!

Let me just say, I know that I have a lot to celebrate in my life.  I am thankful for the blessings I have been given.  I can not even begin to count my blessings.  And I want my life to be a great big acknowledgement and celebration of those blessings.   I have decided that I don't think my happy is too loud.  In fact, I don't think it's loud enough!  I could say thank you to God every minute of every day and it still wouldn't be enough.  So, I am going to continue to celebrate my blessings, loudly, unapologetically, and with great passion!  And, I'm going to celebrate life with you! I want you to be blessed!  I want you to celebrate those blessings!  I'll even help you plan the party.

And so, my answer to the question, is my life perfect is also a resounding yes, in that my life is perfect for me.  So, although my life isn't without struggles and issues, it is still full of God's grace and goodness to me. And I know that there are many people out there who are dealing with some heavy, heart wrenching stuff, myself included.  But when I am gone, I want part of my legacy to be that I celebrated life!  I want to live every moment I can in gratitude and thanksgiving.  On my last day here on earth, I want to go out dancing, and shouting, and praising God for every moment!

I'll leave you with a photo of one my life's greatest blessings- my son, living out loud-  and enjoying his day at the water park when he was younger.