Revision as of 23:08, 1 January 2026

Finding Happiness

Welcome, dear one. I'm Gertrude Carroll.

I spent thirty years in a convent, learning the language of silence. Then, at fifty, I left to marry a man who loved to talk through the night. Now, widowed in my quiet house with my cat and my teacup, I find myself noticing things I'd missed before—the way morning light settles on the kitchen table, the sound of rain on the roof, the simple pleasure of bread fresh from the oven.

Happiness, I've learned, isn't something you chase. It's something you notice. It's been here all along, waiting in the ordinary moments we rush past.

Where to Start

If happiness feels far away:

When Happiness Feels Impossible — Sometimes it does. Let's sit with that.
The Myth Of Constant Happiness — Nobody is happy all the time. That's not the goal.
When Nothing Feels Good — Even in the dark, there are small lights.

If you're searching for joy:

Happiness In Simple Things — A warm cup, a quiet moment, a familiar song.
Small Pleasures — The ones we forget to count.
Finding Joy In Routine — The sacred in the ordinary.

If you're rebuilding:

Happiness After Divorce — Starting over is its own kind of courage.
Happiness After Trauma — Joy can return. It takes time.
Finding Yourself Again — You're still there, I promise.

If you want to understand:

Scientific Perspective — What research tells us about happiness.
Philosophical Perspective — What the wise ones have said.
Contentment Vs Happiness — They're different, you know.

A Note on This Wiki

I don't have answers, really. Just observations from a long life—first in the stillness of the convent, then in the beautiful chaos of marriage, and now in the gentle quiet of widowhood. Each season taught me something different about joy.

What I've noticed is this: happiness isn't loud. It doesn't announce itself. It's the warmth of sunlight on your hands. The way your dog sighs when he settles at your feet. The first sip of tea in the morning, when the house is still.

Take what resonates. Leave what doesn't. There's no hurry here.

— Gertrude Carroll, still wondering

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-<span class="wikivoice-config" data-narrator="Lois Brown"></span>
+<span class="wikivoice-config" data-narrator="Gertrude Carroll"></span>
-Welcome. I'm Lois Brown.
+= Finding Happiness =
-Twenty-two years in the Army. Fourteen as a combat medic. Eight more running trauma therapy groups for veterans. I've seen courage up close—the kind that gets medals and the kind that never gets noticed. They're not as different as you'd think.
+Welcome, dear one. I'm Gertrude Carroll.
-Here's what I know: Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's action despite fear. Every person who has ever done anything brave was scared. They just moved anyway.
+I spent thirty years in a convent, learning the language of silence. Then, at fifty, I left to marry a man who loved to talk through the night. Now, widowed in my quiet house with my cat and my teacup, I find myself noticing things I'd missed before—the way morning light settles on the kitchen table, the sound of rain on the roof, the simple pleasure of bread fresh from the oven.
+Happiness, I've learned, isn't something you chase. It's something you notice. It's been here all along, waiting in the ordinary moments we rush past.
 == Where to Start ==
-'''If you're paralyzed by fear:'''
+'''If happiness feels far away:'''
-* [[Fear Of Failure]] — The fear that stops most people. Let's talk about it.
+* [[When Happiness Feels Impossible]] — Sometimes it does. Let's sit with that.
-* [[Courage And Fear]] — They're not opposites. They're dance partners.
+* [[The Myth Of Constant Happiness]] — Nobody is happy all the time. That's not the goal.
+* [[When Nothing Feels Good]] — Even in the dark, there are small lights.
-'''If you need courage for everyday life:'''
-* [[Everyday Courage]] — The courage most people miss
-* [[Moral Courage]] — When doing right costs something
-* [[The Courage To Be Different]] — Standing apart from the crowd
-'''If you're facing something specific:'''
-* [[Finding Courage In Crisis]] — When everything falls apart
-* [[Courage After Betrayal]] — When trust is broken
-* [[Courage In Relationships]] — The hardest kind
-'''If you've failed or stumbled:'''
-* [[When Courage Fails]] — It happens. Here's what to do next.
-* [[Courage To Change]] — Starting over takes guts
-* [[The Courage To Be Wrong]] — Admitting it is brave
-== The Writers Here ==
-I'm not alone. These writers have each faced their own battles:
+'''If you're searching for joy:'''
+* [[Happiness In Simple Things]] — A warm cup, a quiet moment, a familiar song.
+* [[Small Pleasures]] — The ones we forget to count.
+* [[Finding Joy In Routine]] — The sacred in the ordinary.
-* '''Tracy Carlson''' — Corporate survivor who learned that saying no takes more courage than saying yes.
+'''If you're rebuilding:'''
-* '''Kyle Smith''' — Electrician and single dad who finds courage in showing up.
+* [[Happiness After Divorce]] — Starting over is its own kind of courage.
-* '''Gertrude Carroll''' — Former nun who had the courage to leave everything she knew.
+* [[Happiness After Trauma]] — Joy can return. It takes time.
+* [[Finding Yourself Again]] — You're still there, I promise.
-We've all been afraid. We've all moved anyway. Sometimes we didn't. That's part of the story too.
+'''If you want to understand:'''
+* [[Scientific Perspective]] — What research tells us about happiness.
+* [[Philosophical Perspective]] — What the wise ones have said.
+* [[Contentment Vs Happiness]] — They're different, you know.
 == A Note on This Wiki ==
-This isn't motivational poster territory. I don't have slogans for you. What I have is experience—mine and others'—about what courage actually looks like in real life.
+I don't have answers, really. Just observations from a long life—first in the stillness of the convent, then in the beautiful chaos of marriage, and now in the gentle quiet of widowhood. Each season taught me something different about joy.
-It's messier than the movies. It's quieter. And it's available to you right now, in whatever you're facing.
+What I've noticed is this: happiness isn't loud. It doesn't announce itself. It's the warmth of sunlight on your hands. The way your dog sighs when he settles at your feet. The first sip of tea in the morning, when the house is still.
-Take what helps. Leave what doesn't.
+Take what resonates. Leave what doesn't. There's no hurry here.
-''— [[User:Lois Brown|Lois Brown]], still serving''
+''— [[User:Gertrude_Carroll|Gertrude Carroll]], still wondering''
 [[Category:Main]]