This year's Happiness Jar

[sonjajade]

There weren't very many slips this year... Let's face it, 2016 has sucked on a lot of levels for a lot of people.  But there were some things I forgot to write down, so I will put those at the end.  For those who aren't familiar with this thing I do, I keep a jar full of little slips of paper with things that have made me happy written on them. On Yule, I open the jar and relive all the happy things that have happened.  I only had 7 slips this year but I've had lots more in the past. I've been wanting to keep a jar of regrets as well, to throw on a Yule bon fire or something, but I'm afraid someone (my husband mainly) would get into it and take everything out of context.

Anyway, here's the list, in no particular order.

• 6/25/16: Credit card case was dismissed! No jail- no fees!!


• Best paying job in my LIFE (take 2)!!!  Hoping they make me permanent!


• Watched the ball drop on New Year's Eve with Joey for the first time. We went outside and banged on pots and screamed and hollered- awesome!


• 6/15/16: Joey lost his first tooth today!


• 5/28/16: Got the most adorable kitten!!! Welcome Gizmo <3


• Joey had a great Christmas despite our finances being cut to the bare minimum, big thanks to Uncle John


• 7/8/16: Went to the planetarium with Joey- a first trip for both of us! It was SOOO AWESOME- and he loved it too! Saw a beautiful sunset afterward and went to the top of the parking garage at the hospital and watched a storm roll in, saw the lightning and all of it- GREAT DAY!

Some things I forgot to add:

• I saw thousands of beautiful skyscapes nearly everyday when I came home from work at Humana. It's kinda out in the middle of nowhere, but there's an industrial district sprung up around it and lots of cleared land. The clouds and sky were so gorgeous just about everyday. Such beauty in the skies...


• The trip to Lexington and Kentokyocon: even though the con itself was the worst, I had a great time with my friend. We had a blast in the pool and the hot tub, had a great time just hanging out and talking about ALL THE FANDOMS.


• The fact that I even had the money to GO to the anime convention, because I had been unemployed for over 6 months by that time. My second paycheck funded that trip and I was blessed to have money left over for bills and real life.


• I made a new friend through a former coworker (that I met at an anime convention about 3 years ago now) and we became really close really quickly.  She lost her mother when she was younger in a tragic car accident.  Just to have made another friend was noteworthy enough, but just a few days before Yule, she told me I reminded her so much of her mom that it was uncanny. She told me how amazing it felt to have a positive female person in her life that didn't tiptoe around like she was damaged because her mom died, or didn't want to get close to her because somehow she was damaged because of her mom's death. She called me her 'Con Mom' which is a HUGE honor.


• And also, I went to my first political rally, to see Bernie Sanders when he came to town. I never thought I'd ever go to something like that, and it was really amazing to be a part of that crowd that day.

So that was 2016's high points. Lots of low points too, like having to put Bruno to sleep back at the end of April, Walt going into the mental hospital for about a week around Memorial Day, and the property taxes going up over $600. Hopefully 2017 will be better for all of us (hopefully there will be an impeachment and the pacific ocean will magically cleanse itself of the radiation from Fukushima. A girl can dream!

Comments

[anotherfmafan.livejournal.com]

Those moments are lovely, Jade. And they are important to remember, even though --as you said-- it has been a pretty fucking rough year in a lot of respects. I am going to do a little reflecting of my own on the good that did happen this year.

I think if we all go into 2017 determined to make it a better one than last, we can do it despite the odds being stacked against us.

Hope you and Joey have a great weekend <3