The problem, of course, is not just that there are so many definitions of happiness, but that often the things that make us happy can be sort of contradictory. Case in point: the first two things that come to my mind when I think of what makes me happy these days: 1) when one of my kids takes my hand and says, "I love you, Ima" and 2) when I can have a quiet evening away from my kids! My absolute favorite piece on happiness is from Grace Paley (whom I've often written about on this blog). Her story, "Midrash on Happiness," is a short conversation between two old friends, walking along and musing about what they need for happiness -- both the small, intimate moments of everyday life, and the larger changes in the world. What I love about Paley is that she captures the conflicts we often feel between the two, but she doesn't privilege one over the other. She shows how both are essential. Reading the perfect short story -- that's something that really makes me happy.
The problem, of course, is not just that there are so many definitions of happiness, but that often the things that make us happy can be sort of contradictory. Case in point: the first two things that come to my mind when I think of what makes me happy these days: 1) when one of my kids takes my hand and says, "I love you, Ima" and 2) when I can have a quiet evening away from my kids! My absolute favorite piece on happiness is from Grace Paley (whom I've often written about on this blog). Her story, "Midrash on Happiness," is a short conversation between two old friends, walking along and musing about what they need for happiness -- both the small, intimate moments of everyday life, and the larger changes in the world. What I love about Paley is that she captures the conflicts we often feel between the two, but she doesn't privilege one over the other. She shows how both are essential. Reading the perfect short story -- that's something that really makes me happy.