This past weekend it was brought to my attention that I often use the phrase 'Happy as a Clam.' I've always liked that phrase, but I've never really thought about it. Where does that phrase come from?
My thought is this: Happiness is always relative. Sometimes we think we're happy (and we are!) but later on we realize we couldn't even fathom how much happiness was possible. For example, when I married my husband, I thought I would never be happier. And then I found out we were pregnant, and I knew a happiness I didn't even know existed. Then I found out is was twins, and happiness grew even more. And then I held those babies, and it was as if I'd never even known how happy I could be...and then they smiled at me....and the happiness just grew and grew.
As life has continued, I've found happiness just grows and changes...and it's all relative! But, back to the clam. Would you rather be an oyster or a clam? My initial reaction is this: If I was an oyster, I'd be a tad irritated about the sand that was stuck inside my mouth, so I would choose to be a clam. The clam knows only happiness- an innocent happiness, if you will. But, upon further reflection, I think I can appreciate the oyster's happiness as well...
The oyster is happy as a clam at first- innocent and peaceful, but then a sharp piece of sand finds it's way into the oyster's world. The shock of it certainly heightens the oysters memories of happiness- a time before this awful trial entered it's life. But the oyster makes a choice. He will not sit there with this irritation a moment longer, but rather decides to work on the problem. Layer by layer he adds covering to the sand, lessening the sharpness, giving of itself in order to make things better and working toward happiness again.
And then, what happens? The oyster releases the trial...the sand...but it's no longer sand- a painful barb in it's life. It has become a rare and beautiful pearl. What happiness this oyster must feel when it realizes it has overcome the trial and produced something amazing in the process! And then, the happiness goes one step further when the oyster looks back at the trial and is able to truly appreciate it, knowing that without the sand, they oyster's true potential would never have been known.
So I will continue to appreciate moments when I'm happy as a clam, because honestly ignorance is often bliss...but I think I'll try to appreciate moments when I'm not as happy as a clam, too...because most likely that's when I have a chance to create a pearl.
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