Does it get any better than this?

As soon as my Dad belted that out, we would pause to savor the moment. We would be gathered around a table, or teeing off at a golf course, or setting up a beach bbq. It did not matter where we were, it reminded us to appreciate our surroundings.

“What a great group!” my Dad would exclaim when we were together with friends. Instantly his audience would beam up at him and sit a little taller.

I didn’t realize at the time, but as I research happiness, I am learning about the power of “savoring the moment.” Savoring is gratitude’s big sister, and the combo is scientifically proven to increase happiness. Download Yale Professor Dr. Laurie Santos’s app ReWi to learn the positive benefits of savoring. Savoring is the simple act of stepping out of your experience to appreciate it, as it is happening. One of the easiest ways to enjoy the moment you are in is to take a picture. There have been MANY horrible days during this quarantine, but if you can stop and breathe in the good times when they come, you can shift your mindset.

This photo was taken on the day that Mason had broken his retainer, Todd had a third X-Ray to check for a possible bone infection, and Simba had to go to the Pet E.R. for a balance issue. Todd stopped working in the garage (you can see from his outfit), and convinced Mason that he could figure out how to cut his hair. You can tell that Mason is laughing along with Todd (and asking me not to take his picture in the pajama bottoms he has cut into shorts). I could have focused on all that was broken that day, or stopped to savor this funny scene. And when my grandchildren ask us what it was like being quarantined in 2020, I will have something to share.