What makes you smile?

[ecomama]

I would LOVE to read about what makes you smile. 

At a push you can share what makes you laugh too! 

Whatever circumstances have brought you to BB, many of us are dealing with MH concerns.
Sharing our healing journeys can be so amazingly helpful to others, it's priceless. 

Yesterday I felt JOY for the first time in a long long time. It happened while watching my grandchildren make huge bubbles at an Art Installation. Joy felt good but quite alien tbh. 
Today one of my children said she belly laughed for the first time in maybe a year, a funny thing happened at work. 

Depression, as with other MI's, sucks the joy out of us. Our goal could be to quieten these invaders by filling our lives with more joy. 

Please share what makes you smile. 

Love to you
EM

[geoff]

Hello EM, a good thread and what I smile/laugh at now after MI could be different to what I did before my depression, although some may be the same as before, but your mind has changed in how it not only thinks, but how it receives a situation, which may be completely different than before.

Perhaps it allows us to open another door to provide this humour, and yes what my grandchildren do or say does make me laugh.

What brought me to BB forums was when Jeff Kennett began this in 2000, it wasn't until 20 years ago I decided to join and have been here ever since.

Even when suffering from MI we do occasionally have a laugh when friends/people come around when invited by your wife/partner, the trouble is that when you do laugh, people expect that your illness has disappeared, whereas it may not have.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

[ecomama]

Hey Geoff

Thanks for posting. You're so wise lol, I love when you share. 

Thankyou also for being a faithful, stalwart member of the BB forums since forever hahaha... although we all know you're a spring chicken. Our dedicated, long time members really are the salt of the earth. We appreciate every one of you.

It's so true what you say about how we perceive a situation and also how others perceive us 🤔.
I guess this lends itself to us all being on our own individual healing journeys, as opposed to being completely "fixed" or all better now.   

There's an opportunity for "educating" others about MIs if we feel like it, but IMO no one should feel under any obligation to share anything about themselves if they don't want to. 

Our poodle has a onesie pyjama and walks around like he's King Pin when he's all dressed in it. That makes me smile, he's so funny. 

Love EM

[ecomama]

What made me smile recently: 

~ a visitor patting our chickens last night! She was laughing her head off, she'd never patted a chicken before and was scared but they loved the pat so she was laughing. 

~ seeing the SUN this morning! 

~ seeing my daughter arrive with a box full of scraps for the chickens, yay! 

~ hearing the Council truck arrive this morning to take ALL our broken and damaged furniture away, THANK YOU! 

Off to feed my feathered friends, I hope everyone has a smile today, 
Love EM

[Fiatlux]

Hi,

Your post made me smile... then I thought of my late dog and my daughter. 

My daughter even now in her 20's has a very child like giggle. It is gorgeous and I hope she never looses it.

I will post more as things happen... 

[ecomama]

Aww how sweet my post made you smile Fiatlux! That made me smile lol. A NICE contagion! 

Aww the puppers, they change our world don't they? Sincere sympathies for your loss, hugs! 

We have a rescue poodle (oh dear lol), he's all black like a woolly sheep when he needs a groom. He's a total SOOK and gets carried everywhere by my children, so spoilt. 
Today my daughters went clothes shopping and bought him a black T-shirt that says "BUSY CHASING (female dogs)" which is hilarious because he's not only neutered but is terrified of every other dog except for family's dogs. He ain't mean! He's conked out next to me atm, such a mama's boy lol. 
This t-shirt made me laugh in shock lol. 

Your daughter sounds delightful! That makes me smile too. How wonderful for you both. 

It's raining tonight and SO FAR our repairs to our roof have HELD UP, YAY!
I must say I smiled so wide, but then had tears of gratitude... praying it keeps up this way.
First time in about 3y that we aren't walking thru water inside when it rains, trying to avoid the buckets. 

Hoping everyone can smile today
Love EM

[ecomama]

Missy Possum came down early for her apple tonight. Her appearance so early made me smile. 

Feeling better today made me smile too. 

My friend's daughter helping me and our whole family apply for some disaster relief payments gave me a sense of relief with a smiling face lol. 

😀EM

[ecomama]

Hey everyone!

I had a few smiles today and even laughed a bit with colleagues at work. 

It was nice to drive with P.son in his new used car this afternoon, still doing his Ls, lots of hours yet to do. 
We smiled alot in his car, it's soooo lovely! 

EM

[Doolhof]

Hi All,

Thanks for this discussion idea. As others have mentioned, it can be hard to find things to smile about when mental health issues are present.

Laughing is good for the soul. I had a good laugh today watching some corellas hanging upside down in a tree, swinging from the branches, making a raucous noise and looking like they were having a wonderful time.

Some days when I am down, I Google funny animal clips. Cute animal photos make me smile.

[ecomama]

Hey Dools

Nice to see you! Your post made me smile. Birds doing birdie things are so sweet to watch. I love those animal clips too! They are so gorgeous. 

A worker has been moved to my section this week and it's really lovely having her. 
She's got a great mix of being serious about our work, it's serious atm! Yet she can also "get" a joke I make and laugh with me. She's very sweet and I'm happy she's joined us. 

So my colleague made me smile this week.