Every once in a while, I’m reminded of just how lucky I am.

Friday night, I was home on my couch, half-asleep with my laryngitis. I was watching "Foul Play," the mystery/romantic comedy starring Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn, when my doorbell rang.

My brother peered through the window and said, “I think it's someone selling something.” It was nine o’ clock and that seemed strange, so we let her in.

Good thing, too. One of my 9-year-old swimmers had brought me a get-well gift of brownies and flowers from her garden. It was one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me.

My swimmer took some time out of her day to make me a little happier. All she wanted to do was make me smile. Instead, she helped make the end of a rough week 10,000 times better. She helped to make this week a good one.

It’s easy to get run down, to forget just how many things you have going for you and just how many people care about you.

My dad once told me that it’s a whole lot easier in life to be sad than it is to be happy. It’s a piece of advice I repeat regularly to my friends because he’s right. You have to work at being happy. Happiness isn’t just something that falls from the sky.

So next time I’m feeling run down or overwhelmed, I’m going to think of a little girl with curly hair who delivered brownies to my door one night.