While perusing a diet book called The Full Plate Diet, I came across a quote from Albert Einstein. "A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?"
This got me thinking. I am a fairly optimistic person prone to occasional fits of deep blue that don't usually last very long. What do I need to be happy? The first that popped into my head was JJ, my dog. 
Of course my children make me very happy, but there's nothing quite like the uncomplicated, undemanding and totally no strings attached love that you get from a dog. Having spent my entire life yearning for a dog and finally getting JJ last summer, I honestly can't believe I lived this long without him.
Another thing that makes me happy is quietly reading a book. If I have to picture my happy place in my mind, it would be on the porch of the house we rent every summer at the beach. My feet up, my hair being stirred by a soft ocean breeze, a full glass of my home made ice-tea on the end table and my JJ right next to me. One hand turning the pages, one had stroking my best friend in the world. Yes. That's it.
The smell of a baby's warm head is another of my happy places. I can so remember my babies as babies and the feelings that welled up in me when I held them in my arms to nurse them. Surely there is nothing quite like it.
The warmth of a cat and the contented sound of it's purring. I had a cat from around aged 9 until I was about 22 or 23. Cleo was her name and she slept on my bed, right next to my pillow. Cleo had a loud purr and she would start to purr the minute she walked into my bedroom. She purred as I fell asleep and for a long while after she died, I simply couldn't fall asleep without the sound of her steady rumbling in my ear. Animals have always been a big part of what makes me happy.
Having been away from church for many years, it's been a pleasure to be back in the fold, so to speak. After every service, they now sing a song called Bind us Together. We sing this while facing each other across the aisle. It's a lovely song and I find myself singing it for most of the day afterward, thinking of my sons and how bound we are to each other in love. My mom and I are very close and we talk almost daily. She is another of my happy places and I am so grateful to have been raised by such a warm and strong woman. She's very funny too and says just about whatever pops into her Italian head. I love that little woman!
What else does a woman, or a man need to be happy? The knowledge that your children are safe and well and happy, a warm animal by your side, a good book, a nice glass of wine, laughter with friends, contented fullness from a good meal shared with people you love. There's not a thing here that requires a lot of money. But these are things that this woman needs to be happy, and how lucky and blessed, that these are the things I have.
So, what does it take for you to be happy? I'd really like to know.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot.
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Hi Susan,
Thank you for sharing a very nice article.
John Pusa