Happiness Found

"The present moment is filled with joy and happiness.  If you are attentive, you will see it." - Thich Nhat Hanh's

The day started out on a positive note.

I have a bad habit of checking my email every morning. You see, my family lives continents apart and the only way I keep in touch with them is through social media or email.

That morning, my dear friend happened to email me about her 21-Day Complaint Free Challenge, and one of the quotes she mentioned was that of Thich Nhat Hanh's, a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk.

So is it true that the present moment is filled with joy and happiness?

I was up early because I needed to be in uptown New York to find answers to a medical concern that was haunting my child for months.

Spending time with my son is always a happy event.

So I guess, so far so good.

Fortunately, the neurologist gave us good news. To celebrate such a day, my son and I had an impromptu breakfast at a diner nearby his school.

Another happy moment!

Around noon, my oldest daughter met me in the City. She was anxious getting into the City but I decided to make the rest of her day a better one.

First, we had lunch at the rooftop of the Local Café and Cocktails across Penn Station. It was a chilly morning so spending a couple hours on the rooftop under the sun was a warm treat. PLUS, I get to spend my "lunch break" with my one and only daughter.

Another moment filled with joy and happiness!

My daughter and I decided to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Getting the right subway train was sort of stressful especially when your old 3G iPhone kept flashing "Low Battery". Surprisingly, 2 geographically-challenged girls managed to make it to Central Park West.

That afternoon happened to be lovely afternoon that we opted to take a walk in the Park and had  profound conversations about life and what makes someone happy or when does someone realize the thing  - that spark - that makes you happy.

Right there, was another moment filled with joy and happiness.

My daughter and I browsed through a few paintings in the American Wing.

 marveled at the details of each brush strokes,

envied an elderly man who was able to re-create the striking bronze sculpture "The Vine",

or be enthused in the reality that captivating art is what's outside the MET.

So yes,  it was another moment filled with joy and happiness.

I headed back Midtown and met my husband at work. The sun was still up so we walked down towards 30th St. and 10th Avenue - and strolled  on this elevated train platform garden known as "The High Line".

I was beyond excited because it was something new. A concept I didn't think possible in the middle of Manhattan. The High Line provided a different ecosystem for living - there were children playing, musicians strumming the strings of a violin, friends and family who were enjoying the sun, couples getting married and people like my husband and I who were walking hand in hand enjoying every square foot of this new Highway of people.

I was like a kid in a candy store. I was experiencing data overload. My ears listened to every sound and my eyes tried to capture every shape. My heart was pumping hard to keep up with the excitement I was experiencing.

My husband and I walked 'till the end, which led us to the Meat Packing District and decided to have this spontaneous dinner at Spice Market.

And yes, it was another moment filled with joy and happiness.


We scouted the neighborhood before we walked back Midtown through The HighLine

That day, although my feet were screaming, that day was a reminder that sometimes with spontaneity, we get to witness and experience great moments -- we just have to be attentive to see them!


Have a wonderful weekend!

Keep smiling.