Little Froggie, we cannot always be happy all the time. I am delighted to settle for real happiness MUCH of the time. The rest, I guess, we have to work on to let the bad stuff not keep us down. Sometimes, it is extremely challenging (like the matzav in E”Y, and/or personal tragedies), but if it is a case of the “blahs,” hang in there, and know that gam zeh ya’avor. If we wake up in the morning and get out of bed and are able to go about our business -that’s a major bracha. Even when life is un-fluffy, there are moments that make it worthwhile.
My husband is having surgery a week from today I”YH, for one of three serious medical conditions he is experiencing. My friend’s great-nephew was one of the soldiers killed in Gaza recently. A teenage girl for whom I was saying Tehillim – a stranger to me – was unfortunately nifteres last month after a courageous battle, and though I did not know her personally, I feel a portion of her mother’s anguish, as I also share with the mothers and fathers of the three korbonos for whom we davened for 18 days, not knowing they were already dead.
So much sadness floats around us, so much fear and anxiety of what is and what will be. But there are also moments of clarity and simcha. I look at my 2 year old grandson every morning and cannot possibly be sad in his presence. He has taught me more about simchas hachayim than anything else around me. And I thank Hashem for all the good things in my life, even as I recognize that there are some challenges which we all face, as well. So much better to be an optimist, would you not agree?
So I hope that whatever it is that you are experiencing that is negatively affecting you, will be gone quickly, and that we all merit to see the true simcha of Tisha B’Av even this year. I won’t say cheer up, because that is easy for me to do from where I sit typing, but I hope you yourself will feel the good cheer returning in short order.