I was feeling kind of down today. Nothing in particular, but rather a few little things that have been bothering me. Plus the sun has not been out for about 6-7 days. I was feeling rather melancholy.

The thought popped into my head, Take a walk along Lake Michigan. I pushed it away. It popped up again. I pushed it away. Well, this went on and on all morning. Okay, Okay, I thought!  Stop pestering me. I decided to finish my work and then head out.

Then the song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams popped into my mind. So I downloaded it to my ipod.

I honestly don’t remember if I ever walked along the lake front. If I did, it was a long time ago. But the impulse was strong and I figured I best follow it. And quite honestly, I was getting tired of feeling sad and like I wanted to jump out of my skin.

Thirty minutes later I arrived and parked. The sun was trying to peek out, but was still cloudy. I bundled up and started to walk north.

I hit play on my ipod for Pharrell’s song to begin playing. If you’ve not heard the song before, I include the video below. Just try and not “be happy and clap along.”

The seagulls flying above, a soft wind, and Happy song in my ears, before I knew it, my spirit began to lift.

As I walked further, I came across a dear little grandma and grandpa feeding the ducks. The back of the trunk of their car was open and I could see a big bucket where they kept the food for the ducks.

They looked so sweet and happy throwing seed to the ducks who were quacking and chasing after it.  Watching them with Happy blaring away in my ears (I played it over and over), I felt my spirit soar even higher. Here these two people were in their own way, making a difference on this cloudy, cool day—the first day of spring, in the life of these ducks.

Now really happy, I felt like dancing down the rest of the path and back again. I picked up my pace, enjoyed the wind blowing through my hair, inhaled the fresh air, smiled, and felt grateful for a simple pleasure that just changed my whole attitude. And then the sun came out.

Who’d of thunk, after how I felt this morning that I’d be just about me dancing in my chair as I write this post, listening to Happy again.

Sometimes all it takes, is taking that first step, and listening to that impulse when you you feel down and out…. to feel “happy and clap along!”