Dear Happy Asses,
When I was growing up, well when I was attempting to grow up; my grandmother, whom we called Mom, would always sing out to us, “Play purdy.” It was her way of saying “Be sweet, y’all,” or so I imagine. She wanted us to play kindly together, to get along, and to stay out of trouble. Every now and then I still say it as a fond memory, and it just sounds fun and happy. I say it especially to Warren, my bonus son, who truly has a “play purdy” kind of heart.
My version of “play purdy” over the years has turned into “Be sweet, y’all” for my Happy Ass audience, and I rarely do a podcast without signing off with that. It is our reminder to be kind in a world that so needs it. It is also a reminder to be sweet to yourself. I need that reminder quite often when I slip into overachiever, overdoer mode and find it easier to give grace to everyone else than I do to myself. I think we all need that reminder now and again; some more than others, and of course at different times in our lives.
Over the years, Happy Ass has been me, and it has been us; and I love it. A big part of me is sad to let it go. I know, however, that if I am, and if we are to grow into what I envision us to grow into, it is a necessary change. You know that I have always had a vision and a deep desire to make the world a brighter place, and I especially want to do that collectively with like-minded people.
So moving forward, all you Happy Asses are now my sweeties. I was going to address all of my love notes as “Dear Sweet Ones,” because you are indeed some of the sweetest, kindest, and most loving people on the planet. For some reason, some people and many algorithms have a problem with the word “ass.” Of all the word choices out there, that one seems to bristle feathers and rhythms alike. I am not in the business of bristling, so all of my platforms are now Be Sweet Y’all. I cannot seem to land on a logo just yet, but you will be the very first to know when I do.
When I started this platform and community back in 2020, it began with a short affirmation on Facebook and evolved from there into a more in-depth podcast. Today, I am so very blessed to have several sponsors who help me with the production and the sharing of the podcast. For many years, I was able to have my company and myself personally absorb those costs. I am so thankful for the folks who believe in my mission, no matter our name.
My hope is that in this change, we can elevate our message of hope to more people. We can truly change the world one person at a time with our kind words and our matching actions.
One more bit of housekeeping, I used to have an Instagram account called Happy Ass Karen, and that one has not been active in years. The active one since 2020 has been My Happy Ass Life, and that is now Be Sweet Y’all.
It is not my nature to send such a technical and practical love note, but I wanted to gather you all in one place so that you, my sweeties, would know what is going on in our mission to share lots of love and hope and kindness and just all kinds of “play purdy.” I look forward to these changes with all of you and anticipate an avalanche of kind people wanting to join us in treating ourselves and others in such a way that brings light to a world that could sure use some bright lights.
Thank you so much for moving ahead with me, and I ask for your prayers and well wishes as we grow this Happy Ass audience into a bunch of sweet ones-a true movement of love and kindness.
Be Sweet Y’all,
Karen Key Smith
P.S. In my heart, I will always be a Happy Ass.
