happiness

I understand the difference between joy and happiness, and as much as I value joy and hope that I will always be filled with joy, I also appreciate a little happiness now and then. I really wish that other people could be infused with the same sense of well-being and peace. I have to start working in earnest after this post, so I know I won't feel quite the same way in a few minutes, but for now, I just want to rest in this moment when all worries and anxieties are held at bay, and when I'm happy to be where I am because I'm learning to be who God wants me to be.

My postdoc group had our second seminar (formal conversations about work) and after-seminar dinner (very informal hanging out!) yesterday, and I'm just so happy to be here. This group of people has been good for me so far and I'm a little sad we only get together about once a month, although I do see friends M1 and M2 from the group quite often. C_rn_ll friends J and K predicted that I would be happy here this year, and at that point, I didn't dare hope that I would be happy and I couldn't imagine that this is what "happy" feels like. But they were right and I am so glad they were right.