Unexpectedly, Happiness

This past Tuesday found me on a bus full of undergraduates, headed to Harrisburg for a day of choral festivities.

Now, because I adore that man at the piano in the picture on the right, and because he has kept me playing the piano during my doctoral study years, I will not tell you that it was THE-LONGEST-DAY.

I will tell you, however,  about some unexpected moments that occurred in the middle of THE-LONGEST-DAY that I'm not telling you about.

Thing #1: An unexpected break, in the middle of the afternoon.

Thing #2: With the aforementioned unexpected break hovering before my eyes, I picked up my phone.  I called my favorite Mrs. Noll of the State Street Academy of Music.  I said "Mrs. Noll, I am in Harrisburg, and I have 45 minutes.  I'm coming to State Street, and I'm going to find you."

Find her I did.  Happy we were. (Glowing even....)

Thing #3:

I also found one of my favorite former piano students, the lovely and talented Miss Bailey.  

We squealed at the unexpectedness of the moment, we rejoiced, we took a picture.

Thing #4:

While walking down the street to find Mrs. Noll, I walked past a man selling flowers.  I smiled at him, and he smiled back.  Then he said "Wait!  I want to give you these!"

He handed me a gigantic bouquet of sunflowers.

He said, "If I can make someone happy today, that's a good thing".

And I said, "You have made me the happiest".

Flowers make me happy, always.

But unexpected flowers?

The happiest, by far.

And so, at the end of that LONGEST DAY that I haven't told you about, I climbed back onto that bus.  I gently placed my flowers in the seat next to me.  And I reflected on the small happinesses in life that keep us going through those inevitably long days.

And I am reminded:

In every day--even the longest ones--look for small, unexpected, gracious ways that say "God is good to me".

And then, pass it along.  Unexpected moments, after all, can bring happiness that lasts for longer than even the longest day.