Category Archives: happiness

Jul15

oooh, oooh!

Posted on by
Standard

waiting in baggage claim

at the airport

kind of quiet

nothing much happening

the mood

suddenly changes

all i can hear is

‘ooh, ooh, ooh!’

someone

has arrived

someone else

has been waiting

both are

so so so happy

to see each other

they run

they start

hugging 

jumping

ooooooing

and 

walk by smiling

it’s impossible

 not be happy 

right along with them

their unbridled joy

spills over

and is infectious.

 

—

‘do you ever get secondhand happiness? 

like when someone is happy 

so you’re happy

because they’re happy.’

-soul in ink

Apr9

‘don’t plan it all, let life surprise you a little.’ – julia alvarez

Posted on by
Standard

fifteen of us met in a parking lot

at the appointed time

boarded an unmarked rock ‘n roll party bus

equipped with a very patient driver

70-80’s style

disco lights, music, coolers, bevs, decor, ice

drove to our unsuspecting, just-retired friend’s house

got him on the bus and surprised him

then we were sixteen strong

drove him to detroit

to celebrate him

played games

had an axe throwing competition

(we were all unscathed)

followed by

a long delicious japanese dinner

rock ‘n roll bussed back

 laughing singing dancing storytelling hugging

 a day turned into a night to remember

he stood to speak

 said he could not believe it

he was overflowing with joy and tears

he was so happy.

—

‘the chief prevention against getting old is to remain astonished.’

-Kevin Kelly

Jan20

snow very happy.

Posted on by
Standard

“well, I know now.  know a little more how much a simple thing like a snowfall can mean to a person”
― sylvia plath

 

 

Dec29

hope is a decision.

Posted on by
Standard

hope tree, karin zeller

 

———

buddhist philosopher daisaku ikeda wrote this insightful look at the nature of happiness in his essay collection, “Hope Is a Decision.” ikeda spent 50 years writing the essays in the book. they all relate in some form to the nature of hope, and how we can take it upon ourselves to maintain it, even during tumultuous times. consider it a self-fulfilling prophecy: if you choose to be hopeful, you will be. just like if you choose to try and make others happy, it will increase your own happiness. and, as ikeda also notes in his essay, those choices will “illuminate our final years with dignity.”

Oct16

flip.

Posted on by
Standard

when you’ve had a very long and busy week 

and you get a text that reads:

“great news! your adult pinata headband has been delivered.”

and just like that

your world flips and rights itself in an instant.

 

—

“being happy never goes out of style.”

-lilly pulitzer

Jul10

finally..

Posted on by
Standard

 

a mathematical law that makes sense to me. 

 

—

“happiness is something that multiplies when it is divided.”

-paul coelho