Restoring Happiness

Ever have a low energy day? I’m going through one right now. Last weekend my family had a campfire and I somehow managed to get bitten by mosquitoes over FIFTY TIMES on my feet. Crazy, huh? Something else that’s crazy – I’m allergic to mosquito bites. While some people might feel a small bump, or be mildly itchy, my skin turns RED, SWELLES, and ITCHES with a similar intensity to poison ivy.

So, over the past few days I’ve been taking allergy medication, putting my feet up, and trying not to stress over the fact that my toes look as if they had been gnawed on by a yeti. My workouts have been derailed and on the rare occasions when I leave the house, I have been wearing long pants and socks  so I don’t get bitten even more. (did I mention that we're in the middle of a heat wave?)

I’m not saying this to get pity. Rather, I’m telling you this because it helps put things into perspective, and perspective, I believe, is one of the keys to happiness in our lives.

When plans get derailed, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or depressed. Believe me, I know. As humans, it’s natural to focus on the negative in our lives. Sometimes this is beneficial. Thinking about negative things can help us to change things for the better. It can push us to strive for greatness or force us to come up with a novel way of doing things. Sometimes however, we can’t change what has happened, and we must somehow learn to cope.

For May, one of the blog themes is the lily of the valley, a flower that represents restored happiness. I’m convinced that stepping back and reflecting on our blessings  helps us to cope with the negative and restore balance and happiness in our lives.

So, as the swelling in my feet finally starts to fade, I am thankful for all of the small things  – family, friends, the opportunity to do something I love for a living. The list goes on and on.

What are some of the blessings in your life right now? Tell me about it in the comments section. I’d love to hear from you!

**CONTEST**

On June 2^nd, my book, AT HIS SERVICE, will hit bookstores. This marks the first time one of my stories will be found in brick and mortar stores nationwide and I want to celebrate! If you see my book “in the wild,” take your picture with it and send a .jpg of the photo, the bookstore name and city it was found, and the names of the people in the picture to suzannerockauthor(at)gmail(dot)com. Your picture will be included on my brand new FAN PAGE on my website (coming in August). You will also be entered for a chance to win gift packs from my swag bag! Squee! Ten percent of all entrants will win, so the number of winners will depend on the number of people entering the contest. If more people enter, then more will win! How cool is that? Contest is open from June 1^st until June 25^th. Entries after June 25^th will not be used.

And read more about AT HIS SERVICE here!

Wedding Tales...Funny/Strange/Unusual

June...the month of weddings. Everyone has a story to tell about a wedding, whether it's theirs or one they attended. I've got a few to share!

Mine was one of those "big Italian" weddings...minus the fights. Everyone behaved, and we got through the ceremony and reception with tons of food left over, but no fights. Did the traditional tarantella dance, sang some Italian songs, and I had a "money bag" for all the checks and cash we were given. (Photo shows my mother holding my money bag at an audition she went to...they were looking for Italian grandmothers dressed for weddings! She didn't get the part but had fun!)

The only hitch to our wedding came two weeks before the actual ceremony. The priest who was to perform the service called to say the renovations on the church wouldn't be done and we'd have to find another church...and this was right before Christmas. Luckily, we found another church and priest so had our ceremony. But, we had to notify all our guests about the church change since our invitations had the first church listed.

Went to a wedding and found out three years later that it wasn't "real". The bride hadn't gotten her divorce in time so the couple decided to go through a "ceremony" with a biker buddy of theirs acting as a minister. None of us knew it at the time...not even the parents of the couple.

This same wedding had a interesting dress made by the bride...black and white. Bride wore a white dress, black belt, and black boots. The bridal dress was cut too low on top and the hemline landed right below her crotch. She spent the day pulling the dress up and down. Never quite found the right position. This caused many of my Italian relatives to raise eyebrows and frown throughout the day.

Went to a double wedding. The minister kept calling one groom by the wrong name. He just never did seem to get it right. At the reception, one of my cousins brought a "questionable" choice of date. She drank too much, became loud and obnoxious, and they were told...politely...to leave.

Same wedding: the family of the bride I didn't know brought a pinata. Of course, all the kids were excited. After it was broken and the kids grabbed what had fallen to the floor, my 10 and 11 year old children came to show me what they got. "Balloons"...according to them.

Actually, they were colorful condoms. I grabbed the condoms and told my kids to get more desserts to eat. That married couple lasted 5 months and eventually divorced.

Another wedding: big Italian/Jewish event. Wonderful food...more than anyone could eat. The bride's Jewish family didn't go to the Catholic ceremony, only the Jewish ceremony. The groom's Italian family went to the Jewish ceremony and Catholic ceremony. Divided feelings and not a great start. The happy couple eventually divorced.

Another wedding: lavish garden ceremony. Too much food. Happy couple. Three months later the bride was pregnant and the groom had a affair...with a fellow teacher who worked with the bride's mother. They divorced.

My youngest daughter's wedding: the photographer didn't get to the venue until the ceremony was over. Five minutes before the ceremony, I ran around and asked people to take photos...even handed my nephew my camera, shoved him to the front of the ceremony room, and told him to take pictures. The photographer gave some excuse about "traffic", but I was not amused.

Another daughter's wedding: the day of the wedding, my daughter was running a temperature and vomiting. She forgot to tell the bridesmaids to get to the church early to help her dress. I did that, and ran with her into the bathroom so she could puke...I kept the dress clean. I just prayed she'd make it through the ceremony...and she did. The couple didn't leave on their honeymoon that night...nor the next...since the groom got sick the next day.

Third daughter's wedding: my mother-in-law arrived three days early. I dropped her off at a shopping mall to do some shopping and then got a call from one of the stores. She'd vomited in the dressing room. I picked her up and gave her medication...but it was too late. Since she was around family, bridal party and friends, her germs spread. I had numerous house guests who got sick over a 4 day period. Two had to change flight departures because of illness. Even my husband got sick. The bride and groom were fine. Somehow, I stayed healthy and took care of everyone.
 
I wonder how my heroes and heroines would react on their wedding days...their HEAs would include a trip to the altar. I never wrote an Epilogue for my romance stories, but I can just imagine adding some type of funny/strange event to mark their special days!


Have you got a wedding tale to tell? Please share it!

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photos: Flickr: Dave Darlington, sice (3650341) and Sue Calderone's photostreams