August is National Happiness Month, aka Birthday Blog

Someone I trust told me that.  I can get behind that, why not?   I get to celebrate my birthday, which is often the best excuse to be particularly good to myself. This year I treated myself to this past weekend at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies to be with Marge Piercy and Ira Wood for their Memoir Lab.  Working on a memoir is something I have always wanted to do and studying with writers that have devoted their lives and given blood sweat and tears for the goal of self expression and elucidation is a pleasure.  And to be with other writers exploring their craft and different stages of their development was wonderful, I heard some amazing readings of the writing exercises we did.   And I came away with the realization that I am ready to begin this project I’ve wanted to do for years.  To shine light on parts of my life and infuse them with meaning gleaned over time.  To tell the stories through the lens of love, choice and personal power.  From that deeply personal place that I have come to know is the place where healing on a universal level occurs.   And the picture of the spirit necklace?  I fell in love with it and treated myself to that as well.  It’s simple, light and a reminder of the beacon of light within I aim to follow for unearthing the treasures of words to help put forth into the world the highest forms of compassion, forgiveness, understanding, introspection,  and ultimately for them to be synthesized with the wisdom of the heart.  So on this birthday may my joy and happiness add to that beacon of light that our world needs to build upon to shine over the darkness.  Ultimately, I believe Spirit and Happiness are one and the same …