Paradise doesn't have to be lost...

If you speak to anyone who knows me, they will tell you that very rarely do I have “speechless” moments. I feel that the older my son gets, I find myself becoming more flabbergasted each day. This morning, we were on our way to daycare, and Cooper out of the blue says, “Mom, did you know that I can be happy in a different state of continent than your?” I smirked and said, “I think you mean contentment.” With the most serious look, he responds, “No, like a place over the ocean.” Out of the mouth of babes….

Johnny Cash was once asked what his definition of paradise was. He replied, “This morning, with her, having coffee.” Obviously, everyone has different definitions of happiness and paradise, but I think we often focus on making them a goal than understanding the roles they play in life. Many define life as a string of challenges, monotony, and life-altering events with sprinkles of heartache and joy while searching for happiness. We’ve become so focused on “finding” happiness that we become blind to the fact that it's right in front of us. Happiness is whatever we define it as. My son’s version of being happy is learning more about dinosaurs, my daughter can spend hours playing with her babies, and my husband is happiest working on tractors or being in the fields. My version of paradise? This weekend, while I was inside doing housework, listening to the three of them giggling on the swing.

While our versions of happiness could practically be on the other side of the world because they are so different, we are still so lucky that we have the opportunity to live in paradise every day. We just have to appreciate that we live in a paradise that just so happens to have some challenges, life-altering events, and strings of boring moments. Life isn’t short and difficult, our minds have been trained to think that way. Life is beautiful, we just need to tell our minds just how amazing it truly is.