Genuine Happiness

I posted some family pictures on a chat board yesterday (woot woot ladies!!) and one of the responses I received was that we all look so genuinely happy in the photographs. My immediate response was "We are!"...but then I had to take a contemplative time out to think about that for a minute. My realization: You know what? We ARE! We are a genuinely happy family! Wow! For so long I thought that I would never get there, to that happy family place that people talk about...but all of a sudden...I AM THERE! Don't get me wrong, our life certainly has its challenges...big challenges...and we're not perfect, but we do all genuinely love each other. We treat each other with kindness and respect, and darn it- we enjoy the time we spend together. No mumbling under our breath, no faking a smile to keep up appearances, instead we have real smiles and laughter, and talking!! It's like I fell asleep in prison a few years ago and woke up in paradise. And I am so thankful...