What Makes You Happy?

 

By Joan Whetzel

I found this writing prompt a while back. When I wrote it at the top of the page, I first started making a list of all kinds of “things.” But when I went back and looked at the list later, I realized it was just a list of stuff. And none of them really made me happy. They didn’t really fill my senses or touch my heart in any way. They were pleasant to be sure, but that pleasant feeling didn’t last. They were just “things” that were pleasant for the briefest of times. I re-thought my list. And here were 5 things that really made me happy. Every time I revive one of these memories, I feel their warmth all over again.

1.  First day of spring or fall weather. It’s bright and sunny, with a small breeze, and the humidity is just right. One of those days when you want to spend the whole day outside. Maybe planting flowers or raking leaves, having a picnic, bike riding or walking in the park. Doesn’t matter as long as you don’t have to go inside until nightfall.

  2.  Driving past wide-open field being mowed for the first time in Spring. Grass mown in the springtime smells different than summer and fall grass. Spring grass smells new, and fresh, and full of hope. It smells greener. It smells delicious.

   3.  Getting the house to myself for the whole day. I get to do whatever I want. Don’t have to take care of anybody, except for myself.

  4.   Rain at night. Good sleeping weather.

 5.  Someone tells you something unexpectedly nice about yourself. Especially when you never knew they felt that way about you.

The best thing about these happy things is that they don’t cost anything. They’re free. What are 5 things that make you happy?

What are Some of Your Favorite Childhood Memories

 By: Joan Whetzel

When I first saw this question as a writing prompt, I rejected it. It read: “What Is Your Favorite Childhood Memory?” I couldn’t imagine writing about one memory as my favorite. I knew somewhere down the road, another favorite memory would come to mind, and that one would compete with my current favorite. I know, because I keep having favorite childhood memories show up when I’m not looking. And I find I can’t decide which one is truly my favorite. With that in mind, I changed the writing prompt to “What are Some of Your Favorite Childhood Memories?” I jotted down a few of them below.

Sliding down the hill on flattened boxes in Ohio.

-        Tobogganing down one of the few hills in Rolling Meadows, and almost going over the edge into the creek.

-        Waiting for the pond in Rolling Meadows to freeze so we could go ice skating on the rippled ice.

-        Waiting every Christmas foe grandma’s box of Christmas cookies. My favorites were the waffle cookies and the chocolate coconut cookies

-        The house on Rowan St. here in Houston when we first moved in. At the end of the block was a field of cows.

-        Grandma and Grandpa taking the train to Houston to visit us every Thanksgiving. I loved going to the train station to pick them up. When they went home, grandpa would always tie all of our shoes together and knotted the laces so we couldn’t get them loosened to go to school the next Monday

-        Every fall, grandma would send us a package with fall leaves pressed between sheets of waxed paper, because we didn’t get proper fall colors down here.

 

Oh, there’s lots more. This is just the starter kit.