O Happy Day
The simplest things are often the most incredible. I wish I remembered this more often.
I just went into my bathroom and after several days of not having hot water in my apartment was thrilled to find that it’s returned!
I went to see “What happens in Vegas” and I’m not ashamed to say that I enjoyed it immensly! It not exactly the world’s most intelligent movie, but I laughed pretty much the whole time. There is some crudeness, but I was actually surprised by the general lack of stuff that makes PG-13 movies PG-13. But the central line of the movie (as cliched as it might be) is rather appropriate for this post, “I’d rather do nothing and be happy than do something I know I don’t love.”
Last Saturday was pretty much a perfect day. I was invited along with several families from church (mostly families of some of the youth girls) ‘la padure’ – to the forest. This is something very culturally Romanian: drive to the edge of the woods somewhere and spend the day there with family and friends. Bring meat to grill, salad and watermelon. Bring a soccer ball and cards. Just spend the day being there doing nothing in particular. I think we’ve lost the art of picnics in the States. They’ve been thrown aside in the scramble to be in soccer leagues and the annual church picnic with the no-name singer who embarrasses the kids by shoving the microphone in their face (or am I the only one who experienced this?), and science day camp, and . . . you probably get the idea. People don’t just call friends on Friday and say, “Hey, let’s go to the forest tomorrow!”
The funny thing is that the kids love it. These are normal teenagers who let it slip to me (and not their parents) when they’ve been smoking at school, or like so-and-so, or want to go to a certain movie, or that their parents just don’t understand them or annoy them. We spent the day playing cards while the parents talked – I have the advantage of being friends with both the parents and the kids so I can join whatever group I like! Later on the mothers started telling each how they met their husbands and fell in love. The girls loved it! This is what brings families together and shows love, not making sure that your kids are entertained by something every bit of every day and being glad when school starts again so that they’re out of the house.
The next day on the way home from church I walked through a local park. There are concerts in the park every Sunday and I love just sitting and listening while watching people there. Families with little children dancing to the folk music or imitating the opera singers or just running in circles around the band shell . . . young couples smiling and cuddling . . . old couples smiling and clapping . . . musicians dancing and singers swaying.
Happiness is free. It doesn’t cost anything. Unfortunately, our pursuit of happiness is costing us a lot. I see it a lot in the States and I’m sad to say that I see the desire more and more here – the desire to give your kids everything that you didn’t have growing up. Wanting to work to be able to pay for things that ‘make’ your kids happy, in theory. In Romania this means that parents often leave and work in other countries for higher salaries while the kids are left with grandparents. In the States it’s more the scheduling of activities for every moment to give your child a chance to experience life to the fullest. I’m not a parent. But I’ve worked with kids all over, rich and poor, Romanian and American, elementary and high school . . . they’re not too much different wherever you go. They want to know that they’re loved. This is happiness. It involves being, just being there. And kids aren’t really all that different than adults. They want to know that someone cares enough to spend a whole day with them, maybe even doing nothing.
Once again, my writing seems to have written itself in a direction I wasn’t planning on going. It also looks awfully preachy to me. Maybe someday I’ll pick up where I meant to go, with things that just make me so completely happy, like hot water (hence hot showers) and random picnics and concerts in the park on Sunday afternoons.
Next week the youth are going to camp/camping. We’re going eight hours north of Bucharest into the mountains to hike all week. We’ll stay in a cabana at night, but we’re only taking what we can carry, food included. I love these sorts of trips, not only because I like hiking. I like spending time hiking with kids because it really gives you a chance to get to know them, not just speaking (which happens a lot), but also what makes them complain, how willing they are to do something, and where their courage and hope lie. I’m expecting a great week! Pray for safety and the conversations that will happen!
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