Excluding the births of DC if you have them & getting engaged etc, what are the 3 best things that have ever happened to you?

[SophiaLovesSummer]

I'm feeling pretty miserable ATM so need some aspiration and motivation, and that suddenly got me thinking about the best moments in live and how they often stemmed from unexpected sources or train of events.

So, utterly shamelessly, I'm being nosy enough to ask - what would you list as the 3 best things (barring those obvious ones) that have happened in your life?

So many things it's hard to pinpoint just three:

• Travelling the world by myself when I was 25.
• Skydiving in New Zealand
• Moving to the Caribbean when I was 28. I'd never been here before, had no job and knew nobody. 11 years on, and I'm still here.
• Performing with my band in NYC every year - about to head up again on Tuesday and I can't wait. The rush from hearing the roar of a crowd is something else, I understand why artists develop drug addiction.
• Quitting alcohol, and adopting a whole food, plant based diet.
• Starting a meditation practice
• Early morning running.

Basically anything that makes me feel good or makes me feel joy to the tips of my toes is the greatest thing I've ever had happen

Okay, so bang on cue my internet went down fuck you virgin! but these are just EPIC - thank you so much you awesome bunch
SO much food for thought in there and also so so many questions but connection dodgy as right now so I'm loathe to push my luck but will be back

And if you haven't posted yet, please do as I'm getting the impression I'm not alone in being helped by this kind of macro guidance!

Best moment of my life was, When my 3 week old son came off life support and feeling the relief that he was winning the fight against sepis!
Getting to bring my son home after a 10 month hospital stay,
after being his carer for 8 years and my son being stable enough healthwise, that all them years of fighting and struggling to get my son the help he deserved, i decided not to let it break me but fight back and get a degree in the hopes that I can be the voice these vulnerable children need and support other families in the fight to access the services that are letting these children down.

Passing my driving test
Weekend in Paris
Snorkelling in Sardinia

1. Getting my divorce from 1st husband.
2. Meeting my first boyfriend again after many decades and realising that we really were meant for each other. We wrote to each other for a year, met again at the airport, and promptly spent a week in a hotel room without leaving once.
3. Standing under the Eiffel tower one evening with my DH ( the one I met in (2) ), crowds of people, everyone so happy and carefree. Magic.

Standing in Radiator Springs (Disney California) just me, DH and I, with DS exclaiming "Look Mum, every third blink is slower!!!!!"

Those who know the film Cars back to front as we do will know what that relates to 

I was just so happy and proud that I had a family all of my own

Snorkelling on Great Barrier Reef

A week travelling around the country as a student with RAG, staying at houses of the parents of raggies, laughing and joking all week.

Meeting a big group of "instant friends" on holiday as a teen and the freedom of of hanging out with them.

I don't know, these things were from years and years ago, makes me feel as if I should find something to look forward to.

I've had really unexpected experiences of absolute happiness - whilst peeling potatoes (naturally!), snuggled up with the kids in a caravan - hate caravaning - and on a truly beautiful park run.

Getting a First in my degree - just such an awesome proud moment

I know you said not birth. But the pregnancy and birth of my second child was genuinely a turning point in my life. I was caseloaded by the most amazing midwife who gave me so much confidence in myself and forced me, in a good way, to own my decisions and not just follow what I was told to do by medical staff. The birth itself was fast, raw and powerful. And I felt so supported with all the postnatal care at home too. I was totally inspired and am now re-training as a midwife, so it really has changed my life (apart from the obvious of being a mother)!

I can't think of a third. I have had lots of lovely moments where I sort of come out of myself and just think, yeah, I'm really happy and this is amazing. Dancing with my husband at a friend's wedding, watching the sunset with my kids, etc...

Passing In Parade for the Armed Forces. I’ve never felt more proud or more part of something.

Buying my first house

Getting a job in a field I love

My best friend pulling me out the sand pit (I was stuck) when we were 3. I gave her my crackers to say thanks. We're 28 now and we've stuck with each other ever since.

A day ticket to Leeds festival years ago. Thought we just going to see the flaming lips but they were just the headliners. We were all off our faces and had an absolute blast

Going on holiday with my mum after passing my gcses with flying colours. She was really proud of me and spoilt me absolutely rotten. We're very close and have similar taste in a lot of things too so there was no 'oh god I can't go holiday with my mum' going through my head. Even my friends thought she was cool.

We fed turtles on the jetty after breakfast every day and went swimming in a volcanic river that was as warm as a bath jumping off the side a sailing boat

I am amazingly fortunate to have a life-sustaining faith, a fantastic, long-suffering husband and 2 fun, funny, bright, healthy children - all of which I'm eternally grateful for. Aside from that I don't think things have happened to me which have made me happy, I think I've done things, which is perhaps a different way of looking at it.

1. As an adult the thing that has made me most excited was going to get a rescue Greyhound. I couldn't sit down the week before and was like a small child. And she was worth every bit of the excitement. She has completed our family and makes me leave the house at lunch time (I work from home) even when I can't be arsed.

1. I joined a choir. I love it. Brilliant for mental health. I think about nothing else for the 2 hours of practice.

1. I joined a running club. Also brilliant for mental health. The feeling I got from completing a sub-2hour half marathon was second to none.

When I was at home with the kids when they were younger I found it unbearable at times. I made myself write down 3 things every day that I was grateful for. It made a huge difference. Occasionally it was things like "I didn't kill DS" but generally it was more positive! Hope you feel more cheerful soon @Sophialovessummer.

You've actually made me cry.