Tag Archives: alberta

happiness

The open door

We have worked very hard to create a home that is safe, loving, warm, and happy. For a while it meant that we kind of shut our space down and kept it a very private and protected place. Now that we are home and surrounded by loved ones, those barriers are able to come down in huge ways and the home is becoming a more open, joyful, free place again.

 

Today I had finally convinced myself to get some housework done and was blasting music and vacuuming up pet hair (ugh) when I looked out the window and saw my aunt standing outside. What a wonderful surprise! She and my uncle had been visiting in the area and stopped by to see if I could join them for lunch. It’s another one of those things I appreciate more after being away for so long – I love that our tribe can just stop by and say hi at any given time. We spent years and years being lonely and isolated from our people. I had a lovely happiness moment enjoying lunch and a visit with my aunt and uncle – I don’t get to see them often enough.

As a bonus secondary happiness moment, cousins joined up at the top of the driveway today after school. It warms my heart to see this group of kids hanging out together. These cousin bonds are so important. My own sister and cousin friendships have carried me through every bump in my life.

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Fireweed 

My dad used to take a group of his friends from church out on an annual wildflower walk in Kananaskis. He was an expert in knowing the names and legends of the local wildflowers. The group organized a walk today in his memory. It was beautiful and a wonderful way to honor him. 

Yellow lady slipper

Paintbrush

My favorite, the wood lily

The boys. My dad used to love teaching them about flowers and photography. 


One of the ladies came to me and asked if I knew the name of a certain flower they were looking at. I didn’t but I was so tempted to answer fireweed. It made me laugh and cry inside at the same time.  When dad would take me out looking at flowers and we would come across one that he didn’t know the name of, we would both shrug and say fireweed.  

It was a wonderful happiness moment to remember and honor my dad this morning. 

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On the cliff

I’ve been perched in this space between grounding myself and learning to fly. It’s a weird place to be in, but one I am learning to honor and appreciate. 

I was still a bit out of sorts this morning and found myself heading out on the trail where Pirate and I spent hours, days, weeks wandering around back in the day. Without knowing it, what I was doing then was plugging into my Source, or connecting to God. And it’s what I needed to do today. I’ve realized that once again I’ve been spending too much time asking and questioning, and not enough time listening and allowing. 

I wandered over to the edge of the cliff and sat in the grass, looking over the buffalo jumps and down at the creek. I have had so many happy times in that space over the years – not only with Pirare, but skating and swimming on the creek and wandering the fields looking at flowers. There is something about that space that connects me right into my spiritual being. 

So I sat and talked and listened and cried. I did get some good direction though. I need to figure out what I need in order to be soul happy. I also need to figure out the best way that I am to be of service. My heart knows the answers. I just need to listen to it. 

And I need to sit in my quiet space more often. How could time in this place be anything but a happiness moment?

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Tipping point 

I fee like I’m at this really weird point in my life. It’s like I’m in the air in the jump between running away and running towards. There’s some weird stuff in this space. What do I want to take with me as I run away? What do I want to grab hold of as I run towards? 

Everything I was supposed to do over the last few days has gone undone. Not by choice, but because of more important things changing my plans. It has made things both clearer and more confusing. 

I spent the afternoon with some unexpected one on one time with my boy. I love that time with him and appreciate that he will spend it with me. Tea and visits with the boy- happiness moment of the day. 

And we both agreed that we are looking forward to relaxed summer happiness moments like this one was 

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Fuzzy Lions

Today was a perfect day. I realize as I wrote this, that there have been a lot of perfect days lately. 

I took my Dotted Dog out for a walk tonight along my road – the road I have travelled since forever. I drove on it with my grandparents, rode my horse on it with my sister, chased cows on it with my cousins – and now that we have gone full circle I walk on it with my kids and with my dog. 

There is something about being back here where our roots are that has allowed us to fly again.  

I was thinking as I was walking how much has changed since I started doing my dog walks in Roanoke a few years ago. Then I spent my whole time praying for a better, safer, happier, more loving life. Now I walk and even though I still ask for things, mostly I give thanks for the fact that I’m living a better, safer, happier, more loving life. 

Dottie and I stood for a long time by a field of Sophia’s Fuzzy Lions and I gave thanks for the amazing gifts that have been brought into my life. A fantastic happiness moment. 

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Exactly how it’s supposed to be 

Every once in a while there are those days that remind me that life is exactly how it’s supposed to be.  I thank God every day we are home – and a million times more on days like today. 

It’s hot, we had a family branding, I planted the heirloom purple potatoes, we are at the creek. There is very little I need in life beyond these simple pleasures to make me happy. I’m sitting here with Jacob, blowing bubbles and watching the girls swim in the water. Life is exactly how it’s supposed to be. A happiness day. 

Totally got him. I won!!

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Mountains and meditation 

It seems it was a day of reflection. There’s been a lot of big things going on lately and it was nice to be able to absorb some of it today. 

I know when my inner balance is more where it should be by the actions of Ella the Yoga Cat and lately she’s been all over me. This morning during my meditation she crawled up and lay right across my heart – purring away in bliss. That’s a good sign. 

I took the kids to Banff this evening and got a big mountain hug (and chocolate – a soul hug) because every once in a while I need such things. I have discovered there’s nothing quite as healing as a good hug. 

Mountains and meditation.  My happiness moments for the day. 

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Who do you want with you?

Something that has been sitting with me since losing dad last year is the question who do I want around me at the end? Which expands to who do I want to surround myself with? What people do I want in my life?

Moving back  home and being surrounded by my tribe has answered a lot of that for me. I want to be surrounded by these strong, kind, loving, faithful, fierce, funny people who are in my family and close circle. 

Today at a family funeral it really hit home how incredibly blessed we are that we have the community and the family that we do. Copithornes are good at pulling together in hard times. I saw it last year when we were in ours, and I saw it again today watching my cousins go through theirs. 

It was a beautiful tribute to uncle Dave. What a blessing to be able to celebrate the life of such a good, strong, kind man. The world needs to remember that there are men like that. 

My happiness moment was sitting with cousins and eating treats that brought us back to our childhood. Family bonding, there’s nothing quite like it. 

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Hold out your hands 

I was joined by my girl on my evening walk today. That is always a joyous treat, but tonight turned into something extra special. 

I know as we have reached the anniversary of dad’s death that so many memories have come up for all of us and it seems tonight was Jenna’s turn to process things. 

She shared with me her feelings around the last few days of dad’s life, how special it was to have him home, how difficult it was to send him to the hospice, how powerful it was when we all gathered and prayed after he died. 

She said the most meaningful part of the experience right after he passed was when she was approached by her cousin. She said I walked in and Courtney just opened her hands to me and pulled me right into her heart. It made me feel so safe and so good to know someone who loved me was there to care for me. 

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to trust with your heart, to let others hold onto that heart. Listening to her talk made me remember how important it is for all of us to have a safe place to land. 

Walking with my girl and sharing our stories was my happiness moment for the day. 

Jenna took this photo. She said it was like God had made a path home for her. 

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Follow your heart 

The last few years have been spent really learning to listen to my heart. You can call it what you’d like – listening to my heart, listening to God, honouring my intuition, it has all put me on the path leading to where I am now. 

Here’s what I know for sure. When I ignored my heart, ignored those voices speaking from my soul, and tried to play the game of life safely things didn’t work out so well for me. In fact everything I played safely for made me miserable and I ended up losing it all in the end. I was empty and broken. When I was left with nothing and had the chance to start over I realized I had the power to make some changes. I could decide how I wanted to live the rest of my life. 

Now my heart, my intuition, my spiritual voice is the one who gets to make the decisions and I can’t remember when I’ve been happier. It’s amazing how much anxiety can be avoided, how much energy saved, when I just stop and listen to that inner guidance system. Even in this place of uncertainty and insecurity I’m more convinced than ever that I’m doing the right thing. 

I can tell it’s right because my heart is happier. My happiness moment today was some time spent really connecting with that happy, peaceful part of my heart. It’s a pretty amazing feeling to know that my heart is safe and in a good place. 

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