I Choose...Happy.

       Man, it is so easy to get stuck in a funk. It starts with a bad day, or a bad mood, or a bad situation or just merely a bad thought. Those things grow and grow and before you know it, have manifested into this big ugly funk that you absolutely just can not get out of. Lately, I've been stuck in what has seemed like weeks on end of nothing but terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days. I've been in a perpetually bad mood, been really down on myself and I've given my little self esteem quite the arse whooping.
      Needless to say, this negativity has started to affect me in the mothering department. It's sad that I had to let it get to that point before I decided to do something about it. My little Cam pointed out that I'm always grumpy and need more patience. Geeze, talk about something that'll get you off your rear and doing something about it. So, yesterday I went for a long run in the woods and it worked a miracle on my soul. Running is a wonderful companion. It helps clear the head, give perspective.
       When I look at my life, I see a lot of things that I could easily use as excuses to be down and out. Loneliness, uncertainty of the future, failure, single parenting (or attempting to at least), beat down ego, did I mention loneliness? But I can also look at my life and find so many MORE things to be thankful for and happy about. Two beautiful, healthy, happy little girls, an amazing family and support group, wonderful, encouraging friends, a bright, hopeful future, the most phenomenal church family, a loving heavenly Father, two legs that I am able to run with...it's endless. So, really, when I compare the list of things to be sad about to the list of things to be happy about...I realize I have absolutely NO ground to stand on when it comes to choosing to be sad. I am infinitely blessed and it's quite absurd to focus on the few negatives.