Finding the Excellent

Robert has been really happy lately.  I mean super happy.  He isn’t one to express a great deal of emotion (probably a side effect of his medication or seizures) so his response to everything is usually “that’s nice.”

He’s been a bit more animated the past month or so and describes everything as “excellent” which is then followed by a giggle.

It makes me wonder what he’s up to.

What is making Robert so darn happy?  (Yes, I over-analyze everything and so am on a mission to figure out the source of this extreme happiness making everything “excellent”).

There are several possibilities:

1.     He's been staying at our house each weekend since Thanksgiving (and every other weekend for months before that).  We have dogs he pets and coos at; he is able to watch marathons of Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune or Murder, She Wrote; he gets his favorite foods (any kind of meat and Rocky Road ice cream).  What’s not to love? (well, maybe the crappy mattress on the sofa sleeper, but other than that . . .)

2.     Robert has settled into a routine.  I stopped visiting him at New Home through the week so he is able to go about his usual routine without me interrupting his shower or dinner or bedtime ritual.  There’s a lot to be said for routine (speaking of which, my dogs are letting me know it’s almost treat time!).

3.     He absolutely LOVES his Day Program.  Robert has made many friends, eats lunch with his buddies, watches movies and goes on field trips. Plus they have a party every other week for something or other (always with cookies or other delicious goodies).  Sounds like a day full of excellent!

4.     He finally has cable at New Home.  This may seem inconsequential to anyone else but to Robert, it’s huge (actually, I’d miss my cable too).  Having the ability to watch his favorite shows in the evening while snuggled in bed is part of Robert’s routine.  When New Home disconnected the cable, he was lost. I raised a ruckus and, after taking way too long for them to get the necessary approvals for it, his cable is back.  Do not underestimate the power of Jeopardy to tip the scales to “excellent!”

5.     Rocky Road Ice Cream and lots of it!  Seriously.  Isn’t everything excellent with chocolate or ice cream (or, better yet, a combination of the two?).

6.     He physically feels good.  He hasn’t been in the hospital for several months (knock on wood), he hasn’t had the flu (again, please knock on that wood!) and he hasn’t had back pain in quite a while (which is a miracle considering that sofa sleeper mattress is only 3” thick).  It’s pretty amazing how the world seems a bit brighter and more excellent when you physically feel well.

There could be many other reasons Robert's life is excellent because Robert has turned out to be a pretty positive and happy guy.  Whatever the reason for his giggles and the “excellent” review of everything, I’m just happy he’s happy. 

And, that’s pretty excellent.

What makes you have an excellent day?  Better yet, what makes you giggle?