The lesson of a sunny Sunday

After bellyaching all summer about how cold it’s been, today we have degrees in the 80s.  Add that rich, golden sunlight that you get in early autumn, and it’s pretty gorgeous  around here.

At Mass in the city this morning, the weather was glorious.  San Franciscans live with fog and overcast on a regular basis, and that has its own charms; but on a day like today, when you can chat outside after Mass and be hot in a light sweater, it’s really something.  I ate it up.

I am learning more and more that the secret to happiness is recognizing what you have while you have it.  It’s about letting  little pleasures bring you inordinate amounts of joy.  And, of course, it’s about taking the reverse tactic with the little annoyances.  If I can let myself downplay the irritations of morning traffic or a leaking sippy cup while inflating the importance of an orange marigold or a sunny Sunday, then I am most of the way to complete happiness.  It is not easy to do that; for most of us, I think it’s a learned skill.  But it’s one that I am very eager to practice.

And today was a great day to do just that.  I savored the autumn warmth, the lemon tart I bought at the nearby boulangerie, the sight of Matthew playing delightedly with other kids after catechism class, the jewel colors of stained glass reflected on gray stone walls, the flowers growing with generous abandon around the Mary grotto in the parking lot.   I drank it all in, let it soak into me like sunlight

Happy times.