Happiness is...

On Christmas morning, Lisa showed me a Christmas gift that she has been working on, but hasn't quite finished yet. It was a Peanuts-themed photo album that, when finished, will be full of memories from our life together. The classic comic strip has come to form a fitting analogy of our marriage. Some days are Charlie Brown days, with their kite-eating trees, rained-out baseball games, and footballs snatched away at the last second. Some days are Snoopy days, with their Joe Cool moments, epic novels, and Red Baron dogfights. As long as we keep things in perspective, though, and keep a light heart, we can enjoy time with friends and remember what's most important in life, never losing the hope to kick the next football, win the next baseball game, or sit next to the red-haired girl at lunch.

Sometimes, it's the simple things in life that help to keep things in perspective. Once we figure out how to make sense of them, simple object lessons can teach powerful lessons. For me this year, it was a box of tamarinds. For those of you not familiar with exotic foods, a tamarind is a fruit that is rarely eaten in the United States, but is very commonly used for flavoring in Mexico. Occasionally, I will get some tamarind soda or make some tamarind drink mix to take me back to my days in the mission. Somehow, Lisa managed to find a box of sweet, ready-to-eat tamarinds. On Christmas morning, I woke up to find it in my stocking, the first such box I had seen in the United States. She was excited to see me open it, and she even tasted one, though I can't imagine she was very excited to actually take a bite. She was happy, though, because she saw me happy. What better way to find joy then by sharing with those we love the things that make them happy. It's something that I need to learn to do better, but I am grateful for a wife who does so much to make me happy. She is truly an incredible woman.

With that, I would like to thank you, readers, whoever you are, for sharing with us our experiences for the year. We are glad to be able to share with you the things that bring us joy, and it means a lot to us that there are people out there who care enough to share it with us. While I know that I haven't always posted very regularly, I do appreciate your interest in Lisa's work. If you do want to hear more from the more literary-challenged member of the family, feel free to let us know. Who knows, if people show some interest I may start posting more. Merry Christmas to all of you, and a very joyous New Year!