Monday, June 1, 2009

HAPPY ON YOUR BEHALF

I often find myself heart-racingly happy for people. Happy for them when they nab something they've wanted, attain success, have a pleasant experience, reach a goal, etc. I feel a steep happiness on their behalf even when what they've achieved or received isn't something I wish for myself.

For instance, I don't want a baby. I don't want to be pregnant. I don't want to deliver. Just not feelin' it. At all. But that doesn't mean that I'm not thrilled to screaming when I find out someone else is pregnant. (Just ask my cousin Lindsay; I found out she was pregnant and I was so excited that I left one of the more high-pitched, fast-paced and unintelligible messages I think she's ever received. I was euphoric to blubbering, babbling, and hopping up and down in my office.) When I find out a friend is expecting, I'm excited to tittering not because they're getting something I've pined for myself or because I know what there in for and it's nothing less than fabulous, but because they are gestating a lil' bit that they've wanted, and I believe that getting what you want is grand.

Just as we don't have to all want the same things for our own lives, we don't have to reserve our joy for times when people show and reach similar interests to those we possess.

That alone is gladdening.

I appreciate uniqueness in desires, and perhaps a piece of my excitement on the behalf of others when they get what they want is a celebration of that individuality. You get what you want, I don't care what it is, I'm pleased for you.

•••

Good grief, did I really just give you three posts in one day? Sho 'nuff. And I've even been posting little on weekends. Prolific. There's so much rattling around in this head these days that the blog's getting barfed on.
Lucky little thing.

5 comments:

rabidrunner said...

I appreciate your three posts today. See, I get all sorts of happy for myself when the googley reader picks up something from your blog. I'm happy for you too.

Alicia said...

It is gladdening that we can be happy for others even if we haven't "been there" or "done that"... like other bloggers who make 10k/month... hhmmm... nope, not glad. Just Jealous.

Lindsay said...

I get it. This was directed at me because of our conversation - I need to be happy for you that you don't want kids. I'm happy that you're happy.

Megan said...

Lins, SWEAR that it wasn't directed at you. You just happened to be a good example. Truth be told, this stemmed from a conversation with a friend at yoga. She was going to go to some naked hot springs (a thing I would never do), and I found myself genuinely happy for her upcoming nudist experience. She was going to love it. (And she's got the body to rock it anyhow.)

So anyway, now that I think of it, it does apply to our conversation last week. I have to say that those conversations we have are really enriching. I learn a lot from you. I love that you're not rash; you think things out and have really well-formed opinions backed by reason and experience (something I dig). You're passionate and reasonable. But all that is in the thank-you note I posted last Friday. So I'll let you read that and go from there.

Lindsay said...

Okay, so if it wasn't directed at me I learned anyhow. No more trying to convince you how wonderful it is being a mother. Happy for you.