I am an optimist by nature, thinking I am hardwired that way. I usually awaken with a smile, ready to take on the day. There are some mornings, (rare, blessedly) when I am weighted down with a bit of anxiety. Understandable since the world is a crazier place than ever I have known it to be in my 61 years. As a therapist, I also find myself in a position to help others tote around their emotional baggage. There was a time when I would carry it for them and for family and friends. It got exhausting and led to a series of health crises from 2013-2018, including shingles, a heart attack, kidney stones (three rounds of them), adrenal fatigue and pneumonia. Fun times, all.

These days, as I have crossed the threshold into my 60s, I am acutely aware of the memory blips and body stiffness that accompanies that journey. I used to think it was a myth that those were to be expected as I aged, or as my friend Yvonne Kaye refers to it, ‘ripened’.  Scary sometimes when I can’t remember someone’s name when they are standing in front of me or who I was supposed to call when the phone is in my hand or worse yet, what brilliant article idea flashed through my mind, only to disappear like vapor. I kick butt at the gym with no pain at the time, but when I limp back to the car and need to lean on my desk at work to stand up and kvetch and groan getting out of bed, I feel like I could use the Tin Man’s oil can.

In a converation recently with a young person who struggles at times with keeping her spirits elevated, she mentioned that she has started to “Look for the good moments,” to move from stuck to success in more areas of her life. One such example was singing songs from Hamilton in the car. As she was telling me, she smiled. A rare occurrence for her, since her default mode, as she has said is ‘resting bitch face’. I suggested that she find many such opportunities to grin rather than frown.

My good moments are many and varied and include:

• Writing spontaneously and planned
• Time in nature
• Hugging and cuddling people I know
• Time with family
• Working out at the gym
• Doing FREE HUGS events with people I don’t know
• Teaching
• Having parties at my house
• Traveling
• Being with kindred spirits
• Having deep conversations about life, the universe and everything
• Reading
• Journaling
• Hanging out with animals
• Being with children
• Dancing
• Being a guest on podcasts, radio shows and tv shows
• Singing
• Drumming
• Watching movies
• Going to plays and musicals (haven’t seen Hamilton yet, but it is on my bucket list).
• Being on social media and engaging in conversation
• Sitting by a campfire
• Swimming
• Hiking
• Reminiscing
• Playing dress up
• Imagining and seedplanting for a marvelous and exceptional future

“I live in the moment. The moment is the most important thing. That’s my entire philosophy: Make the best of the good moments.”

–Rita Moreno