Open Happiness

Every night when I go to bed and every morning when I wake I am constantly reminded to “open happiness” by the vibrant Coca Cola billboard outside my bedroom window. How fitting it seems that I should make my way all the way to Cape Town to be reminded on a daily basis by a 30 foot can of coke to open up my happiness. The billboard is of course one of the many remnants the world cup left behind in its wake; the coke bottle itself is exploding with colorful soccer balls, stars, peace signs, music notes and vuvuzelas.  It’s funny though, a bottle of coke.. no matter how huge or how South African it may appear (decked out in its world cup gear) will always remind me of Chattanooga.

The last few days I have been seriously out of commission and a slave to my room, hot baths, liquids, and movies.  The wonderful news is that there is a place called Mr. Delivery in Cape Town that was kind enough to deliver me two orders of Tom Kha Gai soup and an order of white rice straight to my doorstep late one night this week.  With the love and care of my amazing roommate, my wonderful girls here in Cape Town and a little hot soup I am on the quick road to recovery.  It’s almost funny though… nothing that I can think of about being sick makes me happy but even as I sit here in bed right now the lights of that open happiness sign literally glare at me through my window. It’s good though. I love my billboard. It reminds me now and again when I look out the window to open happiness in one way or another... even if it’s just a bowl of my favorite soup or a conversation with wonderful friends late into the night. Oh coke… always spreading the joy.

Every day at work I feel blessed to be given the opportunity to put in just a little bit of happiness into the lives of the children that I work with. If only they knew how much happiness they brought into my life!! Take bubbles for example, it is simply amazing to me the power of bubbles. I promise I know I sound like I’ve totally lost it to all of you who don’t get to hang out with 3 year olds everyday! But I’m serious… bubbles are like magic here. You walk into a room of screaming, crying children and begin to blow bubbles and if you’re lucky they might for just one moment be able to forget that they are in a hospital, or hooked up to a machine, or hungry, or in pain and remember that they are still just a little kid.  Oh bubbles… always spreading happiness!

So thanks Coke people wherever you are... for the delicious cane sugar Coca Colas down here and for the constant bright red reminder outside my window... I’ll try my best to look up, listen up and then try to open up a little bit of happiness today be it within myself or those around me