Around here, summer is beginning to make its shift towards autumn and that means back-to-school sales. My pens seemed to have all gone missing or ran dry, so I decided to treat myself to a new one – something that wrote smoothly and effortlessly, but not too expensive. I perused over the selection at the store and hurried home with my purchase. I eagerly opened the packaging and tried it out on a crisp, white surface, enjoying the way the blue ink could express whatever thought or idea I might want to use to make my mark on the world. The possibilities were endless.

Part of me was feeling silly for being so excited over a simple pen, but then I started thinking about it:  why not be happy over a new pen? It is my goal to take joy in the simple things in life and to find happiness in the small things around me. It is something I want to cultivate and nurture in my life. I think one of the keys to happiness is being content with whatever state you find yourself in, and contentment comes from opening your eyes to the beauty that already lies around you. It is good to have dreams and goals to work towards, but sometimes we get so focused on trying to attain something we miss out on a simple moment. That one moment turns into twenty, then next thing we know we are feeling frustrated that we’ve slogged through years of our lives with nothing substantial to show for it. I don’t want my substance in life to be material possessions, wealth, or status. I want the building blocks of my life to be made of things that last the test of time: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.

It is quite all right if you do not share my enthusiasm for a new pen, but I think everyone can find something that is in their life at this moment that can light their face with joy. A star-filled night, the face of a slumbering child, a delicious meal, a joke shared with a friend. Happiness can be found in many forms when we open ourselves to the possibilities. Even in a pen.