The Greene Beat

Happiness is something that I’ve had a hard time finding these last few weeks. On February 27, I lost my Granny Pat—my best friend, my rock, my hero. It’s not easy to get past a loss like that. While I’ve put a smile on my face, laughed at jokes, and moved forward with life without her, there’s this huge piece of me that I feel will never be replaced, nor will ever stop aching.

But, today is International Day of Happiness. I’m challenging my inner Albus Dumbledore and honoring my Granny with some of my favorite memories.

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”  ̶Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

• Sunday dinners. If you know me or my family at all, you know how important Sunday dinners are to us. Every Sunday, we (still) gather for lunch. The menu and attendance vary, but the love and fellowship remains constant. I learned a great deal sitting around the kitchen table with Granny and my cousins just chatting after lunch. I learned family values, respect, hard word, faith, love, and so much more.
• As kids, Granny and Papaw took my cousin Ashley and I to Myrtle Beach, SC during the summers. One particular summer our hotel was a few blocks from an ice cream shop. When Papaw would hit the beach at night to get some miles in running, Granny, Ashley, and I would get these huge waffle cones filled with ice cream. One evening, Ashley wanted a chocolate dipped frozen banana on a stick. At first Granny said no (after seeing what it looked like), but later gave in. What we still laugh about is Granny wanted a bite of that banana so bad, but resisted, because she knew it would look inappropriate.
• When the twins didn’t feel well or were sad, they would text Granny. I’ve enjoyed going through my texts reading their conversations, most of which contained lines upon lines of emojis.
• Granny loved using emjois. Her favorite was a donkey. When she would do something silly (or if Papaw did something silly), she’d use that emoji as a jackass. “Oh, I’m being a (insert emoji here) again. What time did you say Tyler’s basketball game was?” It cracked me up every time she used it. She was also fond of the smiley face with hearts for eyes. She said it looked like her without her teeth in. I shed tears of laughter on that one.

These are just a few of the many, many memories that bring joy to me on this International Day of Happiness. Granny was certainly always on my list of people who made me happy; now she’s on my list of memories. I’m incredibly blessed to have been influenced by such an amazing lady.

I challenge you to take a moment to reflect on what makes you happy today. If it’s the loved ones on your life, tell them! I’m forever grateful Granny and I knew how much we loved one another and shared that every day.