(notes based on virtue talk given by Katie Dana at the 9/4/08 meeting)
Cheerfulness:
Cheerfulness is a virtue and therefore a habit that needs to be cultivated into our daily living. In order to be considered cheerful, it is chosen over any angry/sarcastic alternative on a regular basis even when it is difficult.
A cheerful wife/mother translates into a cheerful home. Cheerfulness will help us mentally and physically maintain serenity and peace in the house. Our husbands and children will want to be around us and will absorb the cheerfulness and optimism into themselves. They will follow our lead as to how to react to trying circumstances. Because the wife/mother sets the tone of her home, we should make the effort to set a cheerful tone.
We need to exert our intelligence and will to become cheerful. To do so, ask yourself, “What is the major source of stress for me? What causes me to get upset the most?”
Could it be: getting the kids in bed?
Getting out the door?
Going to the grocery store?
Getting dressed in the morning?
Meal times?
After assessing where the stressors are, come up with a plan that will allow you to grow in cheerfulness. Do you need to allot more time to getting dressed or leaving somewhere? Would the extra effort of packing snacks for your kids before a trip to the store alleviate some stress? Strategic and logistical changes could be part of the process of becoming more cheerful.
Finally, we must also seek out opportunities to be cheerful and be generous with them. For example, when our husbands arrive home from work and the potential arsenic hour begins with hungry/fussy kids before dinner, we have an opportunity to meet and greet him with a cheerfulness and inquisitiveness about his busy day instead of immediately dumping the burdens of our day onto his lap.
Ready? Set? Go- be cheerful!
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