Finding Happiness

By Amy Canby | September 1, 2019 |

"Happiness lies not in finding what is missing, but in finding what is present." ~Tara Brach~

The floor is cluttered with baby things - a package of diapers and a half-drunk bottle of water that was parked by the door when you entered, a hungry baby in your arms, voicing her disapproval of outings. A car seat, a bouncy seat, a swing and a laundry basket lay cluttering your footpath from doorway to kitchen.

You're hungry yourself, but the demands of this adorable tiny tyrant coax you to the couch where you shuffle mail and laundry to one side and find yourself a place to sit. A sigh slips from your soul. You long for someone to bring you a cool drink, to rub your tired feet.

Your mind lands on three months ago when women showered you with baby gifts and asked how you were feeling. Those days when you could hardly stand waiting another minute for this little one to arrive.

"It goes by so fast," you've heard the seasoned mother regretfully say, but at the moment it can't go fast enough. Stomach rumbling, t-shirt dappled with spit-up, you stare down at your baby.

Wondering...where is the happiness in this moment?

And from somewhere, the seasoned mother with her babies grown and gone, whispers...

  • Is it in the soft cushion beneath your tired body, the warm sun streaming in a window or a blanket of clouds that begs you to hunker down and let your mind drift during another feeding?
  • Is it in the quiet music playing, the voices of others in the house, the hustle and hum of traffic outside as you hold still for a moment and notice?
  • Is it in the thought of the sandwich you'll make yourself...soon, or the dinner you devoured last night or the memory of a special meal with your partner that feels so distant you can barely taste it?
  • Is it in the moment your sleepy baby looks dreamily up, locking eyes with you in a way of saying thanks for tending to me first?
  • Is it in the warm bundle of love resting heavily in your arms, with rose bud lips and tiny toes, the smell of newborn on his sweet baby head, or the fact that you showed up again, drained from your new role as mother, to nurture this being that's come into your life and rocked your world?

Happiness. Look for the moments and wherever you can find them, grab hold. The things you find yourself missing will one day be back in place, as the little one that lays in your arms toddles off to explore the world, leaving you with only the memory of this moment.

Make it a memory of happiness.

- Amy

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About Amy Canby

Hi there, I’m Amy Canby. Motherhood has been my greatest joy and my hardest job. I’d love to help you navigate your parenting journey with what I’ve learned along the way. Learn more about my infant care services >

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