So Happy

We all just look so effing happy
And I know to a point that's just people smiling for the picture
But it looks like we actually mean it

That's probably because we were happy.  Maybe it was a small moment in the midst of larger crises or monumental events in all of our lives, but for those few seconds, we were really so happy.  And it is possible that we're just putting on these masks for the camera because it seems like a funny idea and that's what your supposed to do for a camera--smile.

But I have a feeling that it's more than just that.  The thing about that picture that's so radically different from any other picture I've ever been in is that I'm surrounded by people I really care about.  It's not just the sort of thing where they're your friends and you like spending time with them or they're your family and you care because you've spent your life with them and are supposed to care.  These are the sorts of friends I've not only laughed with but also cried with.  These are people I would trust with my life.

So maybe that's why we can really be happy in this photo.  Because we all have things going on in our lives.  We are stressed.  Things happen.  Especially at this point in our lives where everything is still changing, and we have to figure out how to deal with them.  But where we are at this point in our lives...we've found people around us we really love and who have helped us get through the worst of it.

That's something to be very happy about.  And so we were.  We were all honestly smiling.  And I don't think it was just a show for the camera.