What is your idea of happiness?

My baby seems genuinely happy with just me and my wife’s presence. It’s more evident when we had just arrived from work. And when we play with him, he seems happier.  He can’t tell that to us directly. He’s just 7 months old. But he looks so as he’s smiling and giggling. And it makes us very happy in return.

Once in our lives, we were all just like him. Happy on simple things.  Happy with the presence of people important to us.  I don’t know how long it will be this way. Maybe he’ll change a bit once his world outside grows. But while he’s like this, I’ll try to make the most out of it. 

He looks happy, isn't he?

When he grows a bit older, he’ll have his friends. He’ll be playing outside with the neighbors’ children.  Or just inside our house playing online games.  Or with his pet maybe. Then his mom will cook his favorite food for lunch. Or we’ll just order from his favorite fast food chain. And these will make him happy.

Once he starts going to school, he’ll find more friends. He’ll be sharing stories with them. And also plays with them. Then he’ll get good grades.  Get good praises from his teachers. Then he might get interested to join extra-curricular activities. And will have educational tours. He’ll be happy about these as well.

In no time, he’ll be at big school. And be more adventurous with his activities. He might get into sports, or music or whatever he likes. He’ll have a great time for sure. Then he’ll have crushes, or maybe girlfriends.  Just being able to talk with them or even just seeing them, for sure he’ll enjoy those times.  He’ll be inspired. And he’ll continue getting good grades.  That’s cool.

Then come college days and most things become more difficult. But with his new and old companions, things might get easier. They’ll have group works. Then have those sleepovers where 80 percent of the time they aren’t really working on the school projects but just having fun. He might go to parties. Taste alcohol maybe. Parties are great. Then he might get into a serious relationship. Or maybe not. But he’ll continue to focus with his studies. And get good grades. Or maybe some are just passing.  Well, that’s fine as long as he’s satisfied with that. And that he will graduate. And he’ll be happy about it. 

Party!!!

Then he’ll start looking for a job and lands on his first. Then he’ll get his first salary. He’ll buy his own stuff from his hard earned money for the first time.  Sounds fun. Then he’ll save some more to buy his first car. Then maybe a home. And years later get married and have kids, and a happy family he will have.

Then one day, maybe he’ll be just like me during last weekend. I was at home with him and my wife. I was watching the championship game between the Gilas Pilipinas and USA’s team in the recent Jones Cup basketball tourney. With a couple of beer and some chips, I enjoyed that moment where I was there with my family. Ok, and watching our basketball team in the finals. It was their first time since 14 yrs to be in the Jones Cup Championship game. And they won.  Great! I can’t explain that feeling. Our team hadn’t won a championship in the recent years. I was so ecstatic. Up to now, I’m still happy about it. Just imagine that. They’ll have another tournament to join this month. It’s the FIBA Asia Cup. Hope they win their games there too. I’ll be so jubilant for sure.

Though possibly my son will take another route. He might consider being a professional athlete. Or become a farmer. Maybe an artist. Or become an entrepreneur. Or he can choose to live a religious life.  Or anything he likes. Life has lots of possibilities anyway. It’s up for him to choose whatever that will make him happy.

Apparently, this story isn’t just about my son. It’s about all of us. We all started in achieving happiness in the simplest things. As we grow older, we also heightened our search for happiness. But as we look closely thru our lives, it is generally made up of happy things that we can all be thankful for.  And only in between are those challenges and difficulties. But these are just the “necessary evil" that catapults us to our next happiness.

We always ask ourselves how we can be happy.  But we were all once happy. It only stopped when we started worrying about the future. We just need to observe what made or makes us happy. And once we realized what these things are, start being grateful about them again. Stop taking them for granted. Happiness is simple. It doesn’t need to be complicated. For all we know, happiness is just always around us. It could be the people we love and who loves us. The people who appreciates us. The same persons who are happy just to be with us. And in return, just like when we were young, their mere presence will make us the happiest person in the world all over again.