There Art Thou Happy

As a preteen growing up I shared a bedroom with my older sister, Lee Anne. She was a fan of Shakespeare. And when the Franco Zeffirelli movie was released, she immediately got the soundtrack and played it every night as we fell asleep. I got to know it well, and could recite most of the scenes by heart. One that especially stuck with me was one where Friar Lawrence admonishes Romeo for being despondent over his exile. The most memorable quote being, “there are thou happy”, repeated several times over in counting Romeo’s blessings of life, love, and breath.

As I think about November being a time set aside for the giving of thanks, I encounter, hear of, or read about many people who feel they have nothing to be thankful for in 2020. But this is not true.

If you are reading this blog:

  1. You have either survived or avoided coronavirus. There art thou happy.
  2. You have a device which is connected to the internet and access to Facebook or website. There are thou happy.
  3. Hopefully, you have a job or a regular income to maintain your lifestyle. There are thou happy.
  4. You can step outside at night and see the same moon and stars that your loved ones see, whether from the next town or a continent away. There art thou happy.
  5. In the beauty of nature and the love of animals, there art thou happy.
  6. The songs of birds and the frenzy of squirrels. The falling leaves and autumn sun. There art thou happy.

In searching for 2020 gratitude lists, I came upon the following:

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