My husband has started referring to me as a happy person. I don’t think of myself that way because I used to be sort of unhappy, but I suppose these days, it’s true. Especially lately. Things are going well with my career and personal life and it fills me with joy (no pun intended).

As far as emotions go, they don’t get much better than joy. It is an extremely deep emotion, unlike happiness, which can be more fleeting and shallow. But joy is the counter-balance of depression, a combination of contentment and peace and happiness all at once. I believe it comes from God. It rocks.

One thing that is making me so happy is a steady flow of new projects that I’m interested in–articles about poetry, articles about writing, book reviews, and even a book contest that I have been asked to judge. I’ve never judged a contest before. Meanwhile, there are my own projects: My never ending novel, other possible book projects, short stories, essays, Word Pirate stuff, etc. Even my rejection letters are nicer than they’ve ever been with editors commenting to me personally about the quality of my work or idea and their regret at not being able to use it.

On top of that, I’ve been much more focused as a writer lately. Something happened to me about two weeks ago and I had a day where I was filled with a calm euphoria of concentration that kind of blew my mind. Although the feeling went away, it’s like I learned something from it and have been able to focus ever since. I’m not so jittery and inclined to goof off. I’m getting things done, and that makes me feel accomplished.

I’m starting to think that I was right in January when I decided that 2007 would be different from 2006. I allowed a lot of things to weigh me down last year without realizing it, and in December, I cut some things away and changed some bad habits. It is great to be reaping the fruit of the seeds I sowed back then.

Beautiful as a dandelion-blossom, golden in the green grass
This life can be.
Common as a dandelion-blossom, beautiful in the clean grass,
Not beautiful
Because common, beautiful because beautiful;
Noble because common, because free.
– Edna St. Vincent Millay

(Photo taken by Smicksy, who also made this awesome corset.)

Happy Easter!