Happy Ever After Moments
My tip for being present for joy. Don't miss the good stuff.
Good day readers,
What a special summer this has been. It’s not without its stresses, but there’s been so many beautiful moments. Especially this week.
Happy Ever After Moments
As you all know, I love movies and in so many, we see the scenes meant to represent happy ever after.
It’s after the denouement or the falling action, and sometimes it’s not even that exciting. Often it’s just a slice of life showing our characters as safe and content.
I actively look for moments like this in my life. As if my life was a movie, what the closing scene would look like to illustrate joy and safety.
And the amazing part, even with the stress and uncertainty that is real life, they happen all the time.
All this to say, life can still be hard and complicated. But if I don’t recognize joy and contentment when it comes my way, I’m missing out in a big way on the good stuff.
Also being present for these beautiful moments, brings me into the moment in such a deep and rewarding way.
Before July’s birth, I would read books about being “in the moment” like the work of Eckhart Tolle. And honestly, I would WORK to be in the moment. I would try to practice presence and it was sincerely not natural to me.
As if I had to muscle my way into being present with mixed results.
If that’s you, maybe try my happy ever after moment method. Look for these moments in your day. Let all your current stress fall away for a minute. Capture the moment like a recording in your head.
You can live on forever in that joyful memory.
We tend to carry stress with us. But don’t forget to carry the joy too. It lightens the load.
And for me, I made a little video about my very special week on Instagram:
Did you miss it?
Meet Post Traumatic Growth
Here’s a little concept I loved learning about. It helped me put a label on my some of my journey. Take it if it serves you. Share it if it resonates.
If you’re new here and wondering, “what happened to this lady?” read:
Welcome to my disease. What is atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS) or Complement-Mediated Thrombotic Microangiopathy (CM-TMA)?
Hi, If you’re new here, I started writing a book six months ago when I was on dialysis. It’s intended to be both memoir and a practical tool to help folks who might be going through something similar or those caregivers and family supporting someone with a challenging diagnosis. I hope to include excerpts here as I write. NOTE: This is not intended to r…
I started writing this when I was on dialysis. It’s intended to be both memoir and a practical tool to help folks who might be going through something similar or those caregivers and family supporting someone with a challenging diagnosis. NOTE: This is not intended to replace actual medical guidance. Please consult your doctors on your individual challenges and situations. Please talk to your clinicians before adjusting any of your care protocols. Also names have been changed for most of my medical staff.
Thank you to CC Couchois, Roy Lenn, and Dr. Richard Burwick for your founding level donation.
Hi Taylor, thanks for sharing the video. Happy tears, and capturing your 'Happy Ever After Moments' after everything you've been through makes so much sense, and is a great tip for caregivers as well. When I was caring for my Dad, I used to 'memory capture' the moment - use all my senses to imprint the memory. This is how I found 'piercing joy' in the darkest moments.
I'll share this with the Carer Mentor Collaboration, 'Caring about Crying'. Thanks for sharing.