Cherry on Top · A Story to Explore
Just One Minute
What if the next shoe doesn't need to drop before you're allowed to enjoy the moment you're in?
The Story
There are things we love so much that the thought of losing them can sneak into the middle of enjoying them.
A person we love. A friendship. A dog curled up beside us. A home we worked hard for. A dream coming true. Even a perfectly ordinary afternoon when, for a moment, everything feels wonderful.
And then the little voice arrives: Don't get too comfortable. What if this doesn't last? What if the other shoe drops?
Sometimes it almost feels as though allowing ourselves to be fully happy might tempt Murphy's Law. As if joy needs to be rationed, just in case.
Jenny recognized that voice while looking around the home she and Dan love. They sometimes say, “I can't believe we get to live here.” But even while appreciating it, she could find herself imagining a future in which it was gone.
Then came a different thought: I'm here now. This moment is happening now. Why am I spending it rehearsing an ending I can't predict?
That question isn't only about a house. People change. Relationships change. Dogs grow old. Circumstances shift. The things we treasure may not stay the same forever.
And still: what are we waiting for?
We don't have to guarantee that something will last in order to enjoy it while it's here. Feeling joy today doesn't summon tomorrow's trouble. Holding joy back doesn't protect us from change, either.
Jenny and Dan remember the years when money was tight and dinner was sometimes macaroni and cheese made with water. They still found ways to laugh together. That doesn't make losing something precious easy. It does remind Jenny that her capacity to notice and create opportunities for joy isn't located entirely in the things she owns.
By her door hangs a sign: “CREATE YOUR HAPPINESS.” Not a promise that happiness is always available on demand. An invitation to notice the moments when it is—and to let herself feel them.
Sassy would like to note that if a perfectly wonderful moment includes a dog, there is absolutely no need to wait for a special occasion to celebrate it.
Through the Traveler's Lens
Is there something—or someone—you love that you sometimes find yourself worrying about losing, even while it's right here?
Have you ever caught yourself thinking, Things are going too well. Something bad must be coming?
What is actually happening in this moment? What future are you imagining? Do you know that future will happen?
Does holding back your happiness change what happens next? What might you miss if you keep waiting for certainty?
What are you waiting for?
Would you like to experiment with letting yourself feel one good moment fully, just for one minute? It might be joy, affection, delight, relief, laughter, wonder—or simply a little bit of ease.
Maybe today isn't the day. Maybe the moment doesn't feel happy at all. You don't owe anyone a cheerful answer. The invitation is yours to take or leave.
A Cherry, If You Want One
Life has contrast. Rocks can be real, losses can hurt, and moments of extraordinary joy can be real too. We don't have to flatten one to make room for the other.
There is no prize for withholding a wonderful moment until we're certain it can't be taken away.
Sometimes we're waiting for permission to feel joy—as if we must finish the Rock, earn the moment, or prove that nothing bad will happen next. But whose permission are we waiting for? We can notice when we're holding happiness at arm's length and wonder what it would feel like to let it in, even for a minute.
A moment of happiness is precious. It's Gold. We don't have to save the feeling for a future day when everything is settled. What if we let ourselves experience the wonderful moment we're actually in?
You are allowed to experience the good that is here. You don't need to earn that permission or prove the moment will last.
Perhaps, for one minute, you simply let yourself be here—and notice how it feels.
The Cherry is optional. The moment is yours.