#triggerhappiness #5

Last week, I took my children to a wonderful old amusement park that opened in 1929 near our home called Playland.  Playland is famous for being the spot where the Tom Hanks film BIG was filmed many years ago (fyi, also featured in Fatal Attraction but that had a more ominous twist!).  In BIG, the younger version of Tom Hanks character famously goes to the Zoltar Speaks fortune telling machine and makes a wish.  He makes a wish to be 'big' and, well, you'll have to watch the rest of the movie if you haven't seen it, but it is a wonderful film.

When we first arrived at the park last night, my boys wanted to go on the iconic Dragon Coaster wooden roller coaster.  My husband was joining us later in the night so rather than defer until he got there, they pleaded with me to please go on.  Even though I'm hardly a daredevil, when you are a mother of boys sometimes you have to say YOLO and do things out of your comfort zone.  

I also thought, I will do this for my mother, who loved roller coasters, and celebrated her 82 birthday this past week. It was a blast, we screamed, we laughed, and it lived up to its name.  After the ride, I was walking with my boys and laughed to myself.  My oldest, Zack, asked me what was so funny.  I told him I was just thinking how funny it is that something that scares us can give us so much happiness.  He thought about it and agreed. It's been a tough summer for me.  I thought that silly wooden roller coaster really did the trick and triggered a lot of happiness.  Sometimes it is the simplest things that make us happy.  I know this but when you are going through a tough time, it can be so hard to remember that. Doing it will with my boys, screaming at the top of your lungs and laughing until you cry is like no other medicine.  I thought right then and there, for the past year I have been trying to think what is the number #5 on my list of #triggerhappiness and it hit me. Wooden roller coasters.  Go on one and you'll get my drift.

#triggerhappinesss on Huffington Post
A Time for Reflection #Triggerhappiness

My boys on the Double Shot before my husband got there, the ride shoots straight up unexpectantly and people can be seen laughing hysterically but also quite shocked.

When my husband joined us, they begged him to go on a ride called the Double Shot, running over they got in line and nobody told him what the ride did exactly.  I watched with a smile inside at what was going to come next. When the ride shot up and caught him by surprise, he yelled and laughed like I haven't seen in a long time.  It was so funny, I am still smiling just thinking about it.  How long we have come, this man and I, we have lived together the full spectrum of emotions a couple probably can.  Praying, fighting for and loving our family for the past 15 and a half years.  I am truly blessed to have married someone who never gave up on us.  

A visit to Playland wouldn't be complete without getting a fortune read by Zoltar.  Luke and I walked over to the machine together and darn it if you don't think Zoltar's eyes are staring straight at you. Here is this crazy machine that is probably many decades old and yet, really laser focused.  The wisdom of the fortune is even more uncanny.  Above was ours.

"Remember a day is a fortune and an estate if you lose a day you lose life itself."  

Check out our family August 12th on the Today Show between 9 and 10 a.m.