Happiness is where you find it
“The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet.” James Oppenheim
Once upon a time, some years ago, a musical group my family knew called The Harmoniacs took me with them to a veterans’ hospital in Orange, New Jersey. This hospital was not just any veterans’ hospital. It specialized in treating war wounded military who were amputees and paraplegics. I was sixteen and a singing student. The male Harmoniacs’ female singer canceled her appearance at the last minute. Desperate, the Harmoniacs asked my guardians if I could accompany them to sing for the veterans.
At the hospital, we moved from ward to ward, entertaining very badly wounded men. One young man of 20 lay flat on a bed, unable to move any part of his body but his eyes. As I stood near him singing, I could see he was listening intently. His eyes followed me. My heart was breaking as I smiled and sang. He’s not much older than I am, I thought. I tried to imagine his life and it was unimaginable to me.
Soon after, as we moved through a long hallway, a door slammed open and laughter and shouts greeted us. “Watch out, we’re coming through,” shouted one man in a wheelchair. “Keep going, don’t stop. We’re winning,” shouted another man as he slam-bam wheeled down the hallway, followed by a rag tag group of other men in wheelchairs. We quickly flattened against the wall. The guys were having a wheelchair race!
I was incredibly impressed with their courage. But mostly, I was forever touched by their ability to find happiness under their wheelchair wheels in the midst of such great losses. And yes, their startling humor and sense of fun makes me feel, even now when I remember them — as I do often because of our involvement in Iraq’s civil war, ashamed of my own occasional binge of self pity.
Meditation for the Day
“Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Abraham Lincoln, U.S. President
Action for the Day
Today, I will choose to be happy.
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