December 10, 1955 Content

I have been filled so often lately with a feeling of deep content. Yet there was not that light, giddy feeling I have always associated with being happy. And then one moment I realized the difference, in my experience, between being happy & being content. They often come together but not necessarily so - it seems that when I feel lightly happy there appears not to be a black cloud in the lot - I have moments like that every so often now that our Christmas trip is approaching - this appearance of no problems is, of course, a delusion - whereas this mature sense of contentment I have come to recently consists of acknowledging the problems which naturally arise daily and not being overcome by them but instead enveloping them in my realization of the greater gratitude I feel for the bigger, more important, lasting things - it is like smiling deeply and warmly instead of laughing aloud.