holds upon happiness

“What beautiful hyacinths! I have just learnt to love a hyacinth.”

“And how might you learn? By accident or argument?”

“Your sister taught me; I cannot tell how. Mrs. Allen used to take pains, year after year, to make me like them; but I never could, till I saw them the other day in Milsom Street; I am naturally indifferent about flowers.”

“But now you love a hyacinth. So much the better. You have gained a new source of enjoyment, and it is well to have as many holds upon happiness as possible."

--Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey

Some things that I love doing are . . .

Having tea time with my roommate Michelle and anyone else who decides to join us.

Cleaning a room.

Eating chocolate. Or ice cream. Or guacamole with lime chips. Or salsa with lime chips. Or Thai food. Food brings me lots and lots of happiness.

Teaching at BYU.

Meeting with students to discuss their concerns about class and life.

Reading. I've long loved reading novels, but recent years have taught me to love reading poetry, compositional and rheotrical theory, nonfiction, and the news (especially opinion pieces).

Listening to NPR, the Mormon Channel, and other podcasts.

Sitting outside in the hour before sunset.

Being awake in the still of the early morning.

Talking with my family.

Sitting in the Celestial Room of any temple.

Emailing and receiving emails from my family (oh those delightful family email chains . . . ).

Visiting cemeteries. (I learned this one over the summer while visiting cemeteries in Massachusetts, Europe, and small Utah towns. Thanks, Sam.)

Writing journal entries, lists, thank you notes, blog posts, and, yes, even assignment sheets.

Getting absorbed in a meaningful conversation.

Laughing with good friends.

Listening in on strangers' conversations.

Browsing through books in a bookstore, touching the spines and feeling the pages, hmmming and smiling over the excerpts I read.

To me, each of these things is about an experience of calm. All of them cause me to slow down and reflect on how rich and good my life actually is and how kind and wonderful the people are around me really are and how numerous and personal my gifts from God have been. And maybe that's what happiness is? The experience of stopping to see the reality of the good God has woven into your life?

This e. e. cummings' poem captures my gratitude for these experiences well:

i thank You God for most this amazing 

day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees 

and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything 

which is natural which is infinite which is yes 

Yes.

You may now address me as Master

That's right. I did it. The MA is in the bag. (Thanks to Ananda for the picture!)

Now, on to the next big thing: holding and playing with these two adorable little girls every day for the next month. I know you're jealous.

California, here I come.

"I'm getting upset!"

This past Thursday, I babysat my three-year old niece while my sister attended BYU's forum by Condeleezza Rice. My niece and I hung out at BYU's Bean Museum where she most enjoyed the playroom, a display of ducks, and a picture of a buffalo that was, she informed me, actually a gruffalo.

Afterwards, we had lunch with my sister and brother and then talked for a bit before my sister dropped my brother and me back off on campus. The conversation turned into a discussion of Rice's talk. My niece quickly became bored as everyone's undivided attention was not centered on her. She dealt with her boredom at first by demanding chocolate: "MOMMMMMYYY! I want some CHOCOLAAAATE!"

When her pleas went unheeded, she changed her tactics. Rather than trying to turn the tide of the conversation, she decided to end it instead. "Everybody STOP TALKING!! STOP TALKING NOW! STOP TALKIIIIINNNG!!"

When I asked her why she needed everyone to stop talking? "Because I'm trying to sleep, and it's too loud!"

I laughed a little. She looked stern, and, after unsuccessfully asking me for some chocolate and for help stopping the conversation, put on a pouty face and said, "I'm getting upset!"

"You're getting upset?"

"Yes, I'm getting upset!"

I gave her some chocolate.

It's rough to be three.

Gender roles according to a two year old

So, a few weeks ago, my sister and my two and a half year old niece, Audrey, visited me at work to have lunch with me in the cafeteria.

On their way to meet me, my sister pointed out to my niece the building she worked in before Audrey was born. She said, "Look, Audrey, this is where I used to work."

Audrey looked at her skeptically and replied, "Mommies don't work."

When my sister repeated this story to me over lunch, Audrey (overhearing) enthusiastically announced, "Yeah, my daddy goes to work!"

I asked her what her mommy did. The reply? "She stays home and plays with me."

audrey

We had Christmas lunch with my Grandma. Her care center has a duck pond on the grounds, and as my family and I were getting ready to leave, my niece spotted about fifteen ducks waddling around. Her whole face lit up and she shrieked, "Du! Du! Du!" I took her over the ducks and started chasing them with her. She was elated and even gleeful. No matter how long she stared at them, she was still completely fascinated and still kept pointing and saying, "Du! Du! Du!" as if she wanted to make sure I understood how exciting this moment was. I pass by a duck pond everyday on my way to school, but I only realized then that I have been frequently missing out on the extreme joy of chasing ducks.

Thai food and family dinners

I went to SpicyThai on Saturday with my four sisters, one of my brothers, and my adorable niece, Audrey. Audrey pretty much threw a fit the whole time we were in the restaurant, but it wasn't an angry fit. It was more of a "I think I am talking and communicating with all y'all, but I am actually screaming" kind of fit. She likes to shriek loudly in order to make her wishes known. The noise level was not all, however. She did a pretty good job of making a mess of her dinner. The amount of food she managed to get all over the table and floor was impressive, particularly consdiering her rather miniscule size. After take big mouthfuls of food, she spit out what she didn't want, or shook it on the floor. She soon began to refuse water from her little bottle and insisted on drinking from her mother's huge cup of ice water. Finally, she was given a tootsie pop to calm her down. She sucked on the wrapper for a little while before insisting that it be opened for her, but actually soon discarded the tootsie pop (throwing it unceremoniously on the ground) as soon as something more interesting (i.e., fortune cookies) appeared. In the middle of dinner, a glass of water was spilt as well (this however was not the baby's fault). It is pretty much a family tradition that a glass of water will be spilt each time we eat together. Family dinner wouldn't be family dinner without it. When we left, there was food all over the ground, a wet floor, but very clean dishes. Every scrap of Thai food was eaten and enjoyed. I am not sure that the waiter enjoyed our presence as much as we enjoyed our stay though.

The interesting thing about all of this is that everything Audrey did was cooed over by her four aunts and one uncle who were present. It's amazing how absolutely everything a one year old does is cute--that is, when you are related to her.