Happiness

Happiness is… [family]
…parents visiting for the weekend.
…making homemade noodles with your niece.
…being an honorary aunt of your best friend’s kid.
…missing Grandpa and Grandma at every family event,
playing pitch and putting together puzzles

Happiness is… [food]
…the sizzle of onions when tossed in hot oil.
…tomatoes from the vine, fresh from the garden.
…dinner dates, reunions, Friendsgiving, and holidays.
…spending way too much money on locally sourced brie;
fueling your body with quality food

Happiness is… [exceptional]
…finding your breaking point, then running through it.
…exhaustion at the top of a mountain
…cold that takes your breath away (so you know you’re alive).
…the last climb of the day – fingers raw, arms sore;
beating your personal best

Happiness is… [friendship]
…picking up where you left off.
…weekly phone dates that have survived moving between 5+ cities.
…laughing, then crying, then laughing – within the same conversation.
…jinx, double-jinx (because we think exactly the same);
unadulterated trust.

Happiness is… [drink]
…a cold IPA on a hot summer day.
…a nitro stout (poured hard) in front of the fire.
…French press coffee on a Saturday morning.
…red wine and tapas at happy hour with co-workers;
margaritas, dance parties, and mulberry pudding.

Happiness is… [love]
…accepting someone despite their faults.
…being accepted despite yours.
…grace that covers a multitude of sins.
…knowing when to speak and when to stay silent;
learning, failing, forgiving, and loving.

Happiness is… [introspection]
…embracing your faults
…embracing your strengths.
…raw honesty and genuine forgiveness.
…loving who you are, but
striving for who you’re meant to be.