Question of the Week: Question #30

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It take us awhile to see the joy right in front of us sometimes, doesn't it? Those little unexpected bursts of happiness that pop up in our lives without us even recognizing them. But when we do finally notice them? We have no idea how we could have possibly missed them in the first place. Have a question? I'd love to hear it, so feel free to email me (mellow1422 [at] aol) or ask me on Facebook or Twitter, friends! Today's question is from Anarchist Girl Scout, who asks...

What's been your most unexpected source of happiness?
After a morning of shopping, an outing which should have resulted in the purchase of a few small goldfish for our new tank, my sister gallantly burst in the house revealing a smile bigger than a child’s face on Christmas morning.

“We bought a kitten,” she exclaimed.

Not two minutes later, in waltzes my mother carrying the prized loot. Inside the tiny cat carrier sat said prized loot peeking out at the world. A calico little fur ball of orange, black and white. Piercing yellow/green eyes. Four miniature paws.
Now given that our last adventure into finding our other cat, Harry, a companion ended with a little cat fight in which the fur was indeed flying, I stood a bit skeptical at the sight of Stella -- the name we'd already bestowed on our new friend.

“We’ll try it for two weeks,” instructed my mother.

And so began our experiment. If it was successful, I knew it would be akin to shifting the continents, as Harry is an antisocial boy. As we let Stella out of her confined quarters, she explored what would be her world for the next 14 days: My bedroom. At first, she seemed content, peaceful even.
But by the tenth day, she was raring to go. To explore her world beyond those four white walls. So we opened the door. Out she scampered. At first, she and Harry avoided each other like the plague, then they got within a few feet of each other and finally, they began to look at each other. First out of fear. Then out of genuine curiosity.

They jumped together. They crouched at the living room window to watch people, cars and other pets zoom past. They even muttered loud meows as they ran across the house together.
It was clear: Stella had brought life and laughter into our house. Without my father, our house can feel like a hollow tomb sometimes. But now for the first time, our smiles and glee didn’t feel fake or forced. We, like those two cats, were feeling genuine happiness – and curiosity about the big wide world. It looked like our little experiment was a success. For everyone.