“Are you happy, Mom?” asked my grown son.  He is the husband of one and father of four.  Sometimes he has to look out for me because I am the wife of no one, though I have been twice married and am the mother of three.

Am I happy?  What kind of question is that? Joy pretty much escapes me when temperatures rise above 80 degrees.  This year in the high desert, we experienced a scorching spring and summer. Through the first week of July there was no rain. Where I now live, there is no cooling beach to walk along. To beat the energy sapping heat for a spiritually refreshing walk requires rising before the sun, so I am grumpy.

Grumpy because I love the sunshine, but can’t take the heat.  Grumpy because I have to amend my schedule to walk alongside Nature.  Am I unhappy with Nature?  I love Nature! Often, out walking in Nature is where I feel most loved in return. Frequently, that is where the Creator speaks to me.  So in the heat, is the voice of God silenced?

“Are you happy, Mom?” Happiness is largely a product of choice. Is he asking me if I feel I have made the right choices in life? Or is he nudging me, reminding me to choose to be happy?