"Good morning, Sunshine!"

It's like the first squeeze of toothpaste before anyone has a chance to mangle the tube and create a mess that, well let's face it, YOU will have to clean up.

And, very similar to the feeling you get when bacon is cooking and the smell wakes you from a peaceful slumber because YOU didn't have to make it, thus avoiding those unpredictable splatters that always seem to hit sensitive places. (The sensitive places thank you!)

Comparable to the first time the sun hits your skin after days and days of rain. The rays penetrating far past the epidermis and somehow bringing true warmth into your soul.

I'm referring to those little things called Happiness Triggers.

One of those Happiness Triggers for me is the simple yet swooning phrase of, "Good morning, Sunshine!" There's always been something about those words that speaks to my mind, body and soul. I get chills just writing this. It is this insanely warm and fuzzy phrase and its intent is never anything but to bring happiness to its recipient. Perfection!

Sometimes these Happiness Triggers come in the form of a smell that can bring you instantly back to such a specific moment in time. Or a location that holds so many memories for you, regardless of how many years go by. But, for me, it's simply...

"Good morning, Sunshine!"

Gets me every time!

What are your partner's Happiness Triggers? Yeah, yeah, we know the bedroom can bring them out easily but that's a blog post for another time. :-) I'm talking about true Happiness. Deep down, stirring their core, Happiness. How often do we forget to tap into that? How often do we just stop trying?

I know, I'm lacking some of my usual snarkiness! But, I'm nothing, if not diverse. And, don't fret! I'm sure it will return in the next post. My sarcasm only gets a one-hour lunch break a day, afterall.

So, in honor of all the tatas that are free of bacon splatter (see, it didn't go far), fresh tubes of toothpaste and bountiful sunshine rays, I encourage you to stop chasing those ridiculous Pokémon Go thing-a-ma-jigs, and go seek out the Happiness Triggers of your loved ones! Obviously. I mean now....go. Go on! Git...

Baggage Fees in My Bedroom

Baggage has been the demise of some of my most successful, and let's face it, most dysfunctional, relationships. Not the plain-Jane black suitcase kind of baggage you try to find on the conveyor belt that resembles 50 other people's luggage, or the sassy leopard print bag that belongs to the over-age sex kitten, but that clingy Baggage that we carry around with us every single day. Stuck to us like cellulite to thighs. 

We tuck it away in a back bedroom closet, hoping the old adage "out of sight, out of mind" kicks in. We bury it in the backyard next to Fido's remains and plant flowers in hopes it is never discovered. We may even decide to boldly display it smack dab in front of the big screen in our living room, because, well, no one ever discusses a big elephant in the room. 

Regardless of how we try to handle our own Baggage, the truth is, we often never actually DEAL with it. It's scary, hairy, funky and grimy. It smells of regret, wreaks of disdain and we fear there is not enough forgiveness in it to overcome the stench. 

I decided recently to open up my own Baggage. I'm not talking about taking a lil' peek with one eye closed and one foot ready to bolt out of the nearest door (or window, if things went really bad). I opened that bad boy up like the mighty Hulk (after unlocking all the pass codes, pin #s and security questions I'd previously used to keep up my walls)!

I hoped to find some cute shoes or a sexy lil' black dress in there but instead I was greeted by memories. Dozens and dozens of memories. Racing my heart like Daytona cars, causing tears to take a stroll down my cheeks and land on my modest chest, making me laugh until I snorted (luckily I don't drink milk) and I was the most free that I had ever felt.  

It was all on the table, metaphorically and literally. And, as I brought out each item and addressed the heavy weight it has been in my life, it faded away like Bill Cosby's morals. (too soon??) The lighter my Baggage became, the more enlightened I became, as well. It took a strong moment of character and bravery, hoping that not only would I be ready for this Baggage revelation, but that my loved ones would be ready to accept it, also.

I pack lighter these days. I still occasionally put my foot in my mouth but I'm learning to become more graceful. And, most importantly, I'm finding financial freedom now that there are no more Baggage fees in my bedroom!

Sabrina K. Carpenter

Cache Me If You Can!

Somehow, it is Thanksgiving time again. I feel like I have barely had time to digest last year's bird and here we are again, ready to fill our gullets with more delicious food with those we love. Not such a bad gig, I guess.

I try desperately to block out the sensationalized holiday hubbub and maintain my focus on the true importance of what surrounds me but it's difficult when you are being cocooned in garland and left bleeding myrrh upon entering every store. I just came for bagels.

In the whirlwind of preparing to cook Thanksgiving dinner for 13 members of my highly diverse family tree, I decided to tap into my own bag of innards and consult with my heart. The irony is almost too poetic. While there are many aspects of my life that I lead with my heart, there are twice as many occasions when I keep it tightly bound like a bag of giblets, protecting it from harm. It's my precious little secret, hidden from the world of carnivores.

The moral of this story? Don't forget to remove the bag of giblets before you cook your turkey. Or...for you sentimentalists...remember that a heart unused is nothing more than a flavorless stew. ;-)