This is Deputy Digby Pancake. It’s been a long while since we’ve been at a beach place.

We’ve been down many roads and back since we left the sand and water in that Florida place. We’ve had many troubles.

We’ve had many good times too.

But our paths always seem to lead us to our happy places. However, in this family, our happy places aren’t always the same places.

You would think that if you’re family, you’d like the same things. Well. Boy Person and Girl Person are opposites. Me and Brickle are opposites too.

You know I love the mountains, creeks, streams and the woods.

And you also know how much Brickle loves the beach place.

So since we take turns at our happy places, I knew it was time to head to the water again.

When we got to our campsite, I remembered it. We actually had visited here before in this Mississippi place.

Sometimes we say goodbye to a place thinking that we will never return. But never say never.

I have to say that being at the beach place may not be as fun to me as hiking in the woods. And the persons say it’s more than ok to have favorite things to do and favorite places. So why am I still happy to be here? It’s called a compromise.

As we walked down to the water for the first time in many months, I watched my brother. He had a spring in his step. He was excited. He was so excited that I forgot I wasn’t so excited. I also found an old crab leg to eat. So that worked too.

And then his happy came to me. Because I remembered he was happy for me in the mountains and at the creeks and the streams.

And then my compromise didn’t feel like such a compromise any more. It felt good to be happy for someone else. Life is more than our happy places. It’s realizing that we all have a different happy place and not making someone feel bad about theirs. Even if we don’t agree with it.

We can’t always be exactly where we want to be. But we can realize it’s possible to get back there and you probably will. Don’t get lost in the shuffle of life. You are worthy of happiness. Just know what’s worthy of you. And who is worthy of you.

If we can make it back to Waveland, Mississippi, you can make it back to your happy place too.

Your happy place may be a place. Or it may be a person. It may be a goal. Or it may be a feeling. Maybe a pancake or two or five.

Find your way back. But while you’re somewhere else, realize that place may be good too for someone else. Enjoy every moment…wherever you are. There’s something to be said for seeing someone else happy. It can’t take away yours. It only adds to it. And gives you inspiration to find yours again. Wouldn’t you want others to be happy for you? Life may be full of compromises. But compromising can show love. And you can show that anywhere you are.

–Deputy Digby Pancake

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