Bringing Happiness to Others

Being sick this week, allowed me to be home a couple days, which allowed me to watch Oprah. One of the days I was home, Roger Epert was on the show. For those of you who don't know who this is, Roger Epert is a film critic, and after a recent battle with cancer, he lost part of his jaw and his ability to speak. It was a very uplifting episode, and a quote from his journey really hit home for me..

"I believe if at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true, no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances, we must try. I didn't always know this, and I am happy that I lived long enough to find it out."

This really hit home for me. This passage is so simple. It's so easy to do. Yet how many of us focus our lives in making other's happy? I try from time to time, but not hard enough. And lately, I have seen the happiness that others have brought into my life, and I realize I'm not doing a good enough job at spreading the happiness.

It's hard to name all of the wonderful things people have done for me recently to spread happiness, but I'm going to try.

M made me a beautiful vase to auction off on my blog. I've never met this amazing woman in real life, yet she took time out out her family life to do this wonderful and thoughtful thing for me..........F, another woman I've never met, made a wonderful gift for me to auction...........People I've met and never met donated money to make the adoption costs a little bit easier..........D donated beautiful things for me to sell at a garage sale this summer..........K donated a crib and changing table to me and Taher..........A sends me handwritten notes with CD's she makes. She also donated money to our fund, and she always let's me know she's thinking of me..........My parents and T's parents have given us baby furniture and clothes, things that help with the expenses of preparing for two little ones.

There are so many more things that I'm not thinking of, but my point is, so many people have brought happiness into my life, and not because they expected anything in return.

This has motivated me to want to spread happiness also. I'm working on a project, where every week, I will focus on one person in my life, and do something for them. I will also focus on never being the reason for someone's unhappiness.

I too, want to live a life of purpose. And just like Roger Ebert said, I am so thankful that I lived long enough to learn this lesson.