"While there are some cynics out there who believe that it is easier to push a stubborn jelly up a hill than it is to be happy just by being oneself, I'm not one of them.
Trying to be happy or even trying to have a baby is a bit like trying to be in love; the more one tries, the less likely it is to happen. Such experiences are natural experiences, and as such, any effort is unlikely to bring them about. Ironically, if only people would stop 'trying' to be happy and learn to be content with their natural self, they'd soon discover that they might have a pretty good time.
All of my life, I have, by and large, enjoyed myself as much as the next man or woman. I have invariably found all of my experiences to have been beneficial in some measure. Even the hurtful, unexpected and uninvited ones, I might add, have helped me become a better, more understanding and more contented person.
Many a person does not realise how happy they could have been, had they made a different decision, chosen a different profession to follow or path to travel. Indeed, there are even some who were happy at the time but never appreciated their happiness until it was no longer present. The French novelist, Colette, once remarked, 'What a wonderful life I've had. I only wish I'd realised it sooner.'
We love the things we love for what they are, simply because all men and women are silently drawn to another by the stronger pull of what they truly love.
That's how I know I love my wife, Sheila, because when I first looked into her eyes, I just knew how she worked and I've been jumping for joy ever since. As Mrs Beeton in her famous cookery book remarked in its opening passage for making rabbit pie: 'When making rabbit pie, first catch the rabbit!'
I'm so glad and blessed that my Sheila eventually caught me." William Forde: August 15th, 2017.