How to be Happy

I'm so happy I requested and read this book. It's one of those that from the very first page really speaks to you whilst reading, and the words still stick in your mind long after.

This book is predominantly a book about death; it won't be for everyone. I've worked in care 15 years and I've seen the end of life, held hands with people whilst they've taken their last breaths, talked about death and, whilst it's never gets easier I'm someone who acknowledges and can talk about the fact that we're not going to be here forever... but if you can look beyond that, this book is filled with so much more; love, family and friendships...

Polly is in her mid thirties and terminally ill; she has been given just 3 months to live. she has a plan now she doesn't have bills and pensions to worry about; she doesn't want to do the whole bucket list - ticking things off, she wants to show you can have happiness even when things seem truly awful, and so comes the '100 Happy Days' project - doing one thing every day (big or small) that makes you happy.

Annie is 35 and at rock bottom in her life. She hates her job, her marriage failed (after her husband left her for one of her best friends) she lost her baby, she lost her home and now lives in a grotty flat, she's lost touch with all her friends, and to top it off her mum has early on-set dementia and has just been hospitalised after a fall. But here she bumps into bright, cheerful Polly, who takes her under her wing (despite Polly not wanting anything to do with this mad woman) and all but forces Annie to do the project with her...

Throughout this story these 2 characters form a truly heart-warming friendship, that is absolutely believable. One minute their antics had me chuckling, then the next I was trying to hold back tears. You can't help but instantly love Polly, I felt her positivity and sadness, the acceptance and denial - you go through it all with her. Annie is again very real. I think everyone can relate to her. I'm absolutely sure we've all had a period in our lives when we've hit that rock bottom spot (I could tell you the exact date of mine!) you are full of sadness and anger, you don't want to get out of bed, see people, and you think you're the worst off person in the world and you can't see life ever getting better. So remember, when you think Annie is a little whiny and pathetic - you've been that person too; happy days, sad days, angry days... they're all part of living.

There's a wee touch of romance thrown in this book which I really liked. There are also so many tougher subjects (not just cancer and death) laced through; abuse, dementia, infant loss, our NHS breaking down, homelessness, loneliness and depression.

This book is wonderfully written and will take you through so many emotions, it's one where you'll be laughing and smiling, but also crying - you know the proper tears, snotty noses and making our faces so not look good! It will make you stop and think and really look at life - I honestly think we forget how short and unpredictable it really is. In the space of a couple of weeks 2 of my work colleagues were diagnosed with cancer - one with breast (hopefully should be successful) and one with 2 brain tumours just like Polly, one was able to be removed but the other can't be touched at all. The story felt very personal to me.

One of my favourite little sayings in life is "It's the little things that count and make us most happy" and I truly believe that is the absolute truth from this story.

I wanted to end with this quote taken from the book...

“I think we should all live as if we are dying too – because we are, make no mistake. We should live as if we’re dying at some unspecified but possibly quite soon time. We can’t expect every day to be happy, and there’ll always be sickness and heartache and sadness, but we should never put up with a sad or a boring or a depressing day, just for the sake of it. None of us have time for that, whether we have a hundred days left or a hundred thousand.”