folder of happiness.

[i just googled "how long do we hold memories?" the first line of the first site said, "You seemingly simple question leads us into an intricate maze of neurons...."

And i was lost at "neurons." i moved onto an article by "How Stuff Works." much more my speed.]

i used to have a box of happiness, but Maggie chewed it up when she was a puppy because i so ignorantly left it under my bed.

and just what would a box of happiness contain? you may ask (though probably weren't). in periods of sadness, i always enjoy peeking inside the box to see tangible ways in which i have been shown love. notes, gifts, pictures.

when maggie chewed it up, i just kind of threw my things into another box only to be forgotten about. now going through it i don't remember why everything is in there, or what some items or notes are, or even who they're from in some instances. still, at the time, i'm sure it brought me great happiness.

a couple years ago i started a folder of happiness after an extremely rough, disappointing, not-what-i-had-expected semester/year of college. i'm still adding to it. it's extremely full.

but writing things down in general tends to help me remember happy memories - any memories. there's no straight-up answer to the question i threw at google (answer the dang question, google!), but generally repitition helps move thoughts into long-term memory. repitition helps move thoughts into long-term memory. repitition helps move thoughts into long-term memory. (ok, enough)

and so, onto happiness, and the hope that sharing my happy thoughts with the blogging world will help me remember when i'm feeling what i'm sure will be over-dramatic sadness.

i have a favorite student. i know you shouldn't have favorites, but i have one, and she is loud and annoying and just so lovable! i shall call her Fave.

she sits in the back corner of the classroom and because she's an oral processor, has times of "confession" to herself that the rest of the classroom can hear because she is just always loud. it's stuff like "oh yeah, i shouldn't have that," and when questioned about what she shouldn't have, generally silly bands or something of the like are disposed of.

Fave and i have recently been forming a bond. we played candy land the other day at break and every time i turned around she took a turn, or several turns, when it was clearly not hers to take. really she's quite cunning. i love that she's so...well, BA.

and recently Fave has been confessing things specifically to me, and she's even been whispering because she knows i can't stand when she talks so loudly when she's standing right next to me. at the end of the day she came over to my seat and said, in her whispered whiny voice, "shoot, there's a [*self-induced] hole in my shirt."

*she did not say [self-induced], though it was implied by when i saw they cut-up hole in the middle of her shirt.

oh, Fave, i said. you ruined another one of your shirts.

Fave has done this before. that's why she's my fave.