Arielle Ford

We all say we want to be happy. Happy feels great. It seems like the goal to shoot for, but ultimately happy isn’t where you want to land. Why? Because the state of being what we call happy is often contingent upon getting something or someone, whether it’s the love of your life, the money, the job, the house, the car, the designer handbag, courtside tickets or something else, and eventually the happiness will disappear and we will be left disappointed, frustrated, or yearning for the next shiny thing.

I recently brought together seventy family members and close friends for a Celebration of Life to remember my mom. We honored her with a decadent buffet, fun activities, a musical performance by Ron Bohmer and Sandra Joseph (dear friends and former stars of Phantom of the Opera), and many heart opening and funny tributes.