My oldest grandchild turns seven this month. In his honor I’m sharing with him – and with you — seven ways to discover a Happy Day Moment every day.

1. Love.

Every good thing in life starts with love. Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Say “I love you” to others and take time to be around those you love. The more you say “yes” to love, the more loving you will become.

The important thing is to love. Keep loving those who have hurt your feelings or disappointed you. Keep loving when times are hard and confusing. Keep loving in the kindest ways. The right time to love is always right now.

You will be remembered for your love. Choosing to lend a hand in love is always good. It always leads to a better story. Love. Everybody. Always.

Grandson: I love you. I will always love you. I love you more today than yesterday. I will never stop loving you.

2. Be kind.

Treat others as you would like to be treated. Help others whenever you can. Be nice and thoughtful and think about the feelings of others. Don’t be afraid to help someone. Say kind words. Be mittens against the cold. Shade against the heat. Umbrella against the rain.  Being kind and friendly to others helps our world.

Treat everyone, even yourself, with kindness and respect. It’s as simple as that. Whatever you do is always better when you add kindness. Choose to be kind every day, and you’re truly choosing to make the world a better place. Kindness is a terrific happiness habit.

Grandson: Your kindness sends light into the dark places.

3. Be thankful.

Every day you can choose to be thankful for something. For family and friends you love and who love you. For the world around you and the blessings you have. Being happy doesn’t mean you have everything; it means you are thankful and appreciate what you have.

You can find a good thing, a moment, even when things aren’t going your way or you’re having a bad day. You just have to open your heart to see them.

Be joyful. Be grateful. Thankful people are happy.

Grandson:  I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

4. Have faith.

Having faith means trusting and believing. Even when you can’t see what is ahead, you can know that God is in control. Think about Peter in the Bible. He had faith and stepped out of the boat and did the impossible. He walked on the water! He took a risk, he believed. He trusted God. Sometimes you may think, “I can’t do that!” Peter probably did. But he stepped out anyway and trusted. And he kept his eyes on Jesus. If you want to do great things, you have to get out of the boat. Take a risk. Have faith. And you can have faith because you know in your heart that God is faithful.

Grandson: With God nothing is impossible.

5. Forgive.

Everybody makes mistakes. That’s why pencils have erasers. People mess up all the time. It’s important to remember that God has forgiven us so we must also forgive others. No matter the mistakes, God forgives. We should too. When someone says, “I’m sorry,” forgive quickly and give grace as much as possible.

Grandson: Forgive others. Forgive yourself. Move on and try to do better next time. 

6. Give.

When you are generous with the gifts you have of love and compassion, you make others happy, and you will be happy, too. Give, and don’t think about what you might get in return, but give because giving is the right thing to do.

Don’t just give money to those who need it, but give your time and energy, serve others around you. Say “Yes” to helping others. Give light to those in the dark. Give a blessing to those who are sad. Remember what Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Grandson: When you give to others, you show God’s love.

7. Be yourself. 

God made you special. There is no one like you! You are perfectly valuable, perfectly you. Always remember that you are amazing and you can do whatever you set your mind to. And always laugh and smile as much as possible.

Being your best self is to love and obey God and to follow Jesus.

Grandson: I believe in you. I will be there for you.

When you focus on being loving, being kind, being thankful, having faith, forgiving others, giving to others, and being yourself – you will find Happy Moments each and every day. I’m sure of it.

Grandson: Whenever I’m with you, whenever I see you, whenever I hear your voice, whenever I look at photos of you – that is a HAPPY DAY MOMENT FOR ME!

[And remember: Legos always bring Happy Day Moments!]