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| "It is the journey and the love that I have been able to gather and integrate in my life that matters most, I realize." |
A friend posted something on my facebook account profile describing me as “simply happy”. That made me think a while. I thought, “Am I really a happy person?”. I mean come on. I do have a terrifying temper when I’m very angry. I have had far too many heartaches and disappointments. I almost lost my life more than once. Got burned out at an early age and exhausted from feeling forced to conform or hide. How can I be happy? There must be a reason behind why that good friend of mine thought so. After some moments, I just let my heart do the “thinking” and it was then that I realized that the things that happened in the past were merely events. I needed all those to get to where I am now. Looking back but trying to be present here and now, those events do not seem to make me any less happy now. On the contrary, now that I think about it, these events actually made me happier, not in a superficial, fleeting way, but in a more lasting, serene way which has a depth far more than what I could have imagined possible when I was still in my earlier, tender years. Each moment belongs to itself. Each moment leading to and building on another. If this is the case, I thought, why not create something beautiful and meaningful each time when I know that I’m building for eternity? Time is of the essence, and the sooner we realize this, the less unnecessary oscillations we would be making repeating patterns which are not anymore helpful to us. So I thought to myself, what a wonderful gift my friend gave me, just by describing me as “Simply Happy”, for whether she knows it or not, she has brought to my attention and awareness a liberating and empowering idea about my life and life in general.
I then wrote her back. And this was what I said:
Dear Friend,
Thank you for making me aware of the happy state you perceive me to be in. At this moment, I can truly say that I am essentially happy and feeling serene. I would say that I’m happiest when I’m in good company especially in a loving environment. Yes, life in general has it’s ups and downs. I have had my share of being in unpleasant, painful, even traumatic circumstances and life events time and again. I have experienced the perspective of being abandoned, ignored or taken for granted, misjudged and taken advantage of. I have been in the dark, hardened somewhat for a while. However, at some point, I realized that all my experiences presented a lot of opportunities to explore life's depths and heights which built my character and ultimately strengthened my resolve to grow and continue life's journey. I love; I learn; I grow. I grow in awareness and serenity. I learned the art of letting go. I have also learned to trust in my own inner intuitive guidance. I continue to learn as I go and I now get to experience higher finer levels of love and understand its nuances within the human condition. I have come to understand through all these that those who truly resonate with my soul, and are kindred spirits are the ones who make me happy and help me flourish, as I find myself effortlessly and joyfully doing the same for them. It is the journey and the love that I have been able to gather and integrate in my life that matters most, I realize. So at this point, I feel serene enough to say that I wouldn't have wanted my life to have unfolded any other way. Life is beautiful. I am eternally grateful. Bless you, my friend. :)
–Maria Celeste Garcia– 1/25/2010
