[42]

Happiness has many faces. For me it is (in no particular order)

• to love and be loved
  
• the children like to come home
  
• the smile of a baby (must not be the own)
  
• having friends
  
• a warm spring-/summerday
  
• when a cat decides that I should be its person
  
• someone says, "I didn't see you for a long time and just want to say hello. How are you?"
  
• a man in demand comes and asks "would you like to dance?"
  
• a piece of music that goes to the heart
  
• you practised hard and suddenly know whatfor
  
• the flesh begins to creep whilst being 1 voice in a big choir / orchestra
  
• understanding without words
  
• a fine meal and a good wine
  
• a coffee kiss
  
• laundry in the wind
  
• being healthy
  
• having survived a disease
  
• having managed a strange situation
  
• a trip with the motor-cycle
  
• having a work that I like
  
• no severe worries about material things
  
• being needed
  
• people trust me and ask for advice
  
• nature in spring
  
• a bath in the sea
  
• a nice poem or picture or sculpture
  
• an unexpected phonecall / letter from a nice person
  
• being able to look sharp again because of new glasses
  
• an interesting conversation / discussion
  
• .........

Funny, no(t much) money necessary for all that. I am so happy

[luke warm]

42, on May 14 2006, 05:26 AM, said:

[*]to love and be loved

that's about all that's needed, imo

[Al_U_Card]

Never having to express the following sentiment:

Grace

At those times you fall from grace
You never land upon your feet
But rather in a way that seems
To end so bittersweet.

That state of grace from which you fell
Had all you’d ever need
But being unaware of this
You end up swayed by greed.

For goodness takes a lot of work
The other’s easy if you try
By letting go of what is good
life without love is just a lie.

With time you’ll find that you’ve become
A prisoner of the cell you’ll make
With all those bars you cannot break.
From each and every small mistake.

[mike777]

"Happiness is a Warm Gun...bang...bang...shoot ...shoot"

White Album.

[Al_U_Card]

luke warm, on May 14 2006, 09:06 AM, said:

42, on May 14 2006, 05:26 AM, said:

[*]to love and be loved

that's about all that's needed, imo

Jimmy, you are so right. Here is what my definition of happiness is:

What Love Is

Some questions can answer themselves,
no need to look both high and low
but rather straight into your heart
where you will see these things you know.

The longing for the times to come
the joyous thought anticipated
the quickened beating of the heart
the sweetness of a gentle kiss
the calm warmth of a fond embrace
the rapture of a secret shared
the happiness that caring brings
the vision of our depth of purpose
the courage to release from bondage
the hope in what the future holds
the knowledge that our lives entwine.

So even all these things you feel,
more than experience can show,
the greatest power that it has,
love becomes more than what it was.

[Walddk]

Happiness is to wake up in the morning to see that you and those you care for are still alive and in good health.

Roland

[keylime]

Happiness is:

- knowing that each day I wake up that I'm one day closer to God
- knowing that as I overcome my disorder, that my recovery is gaining strength
- knowing that no matter how bad things are, my family and loved ones are in the breach seeing me through, standing resolute in our collective belief that God's en route with healing
- playing golf
- enjoying a Rita's mitso shake
- seeing a good comic that isn't overly profane
- watching the Audi R10 with its revolutionary TDI engine throbing around the circuit at speed, listening to the wonderful ode of power echoing off the retaining walls, sensing the crescendo of power flood me
- the sunrise over Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island
- walking on The Mall on a Saturday afternoon, and in the space of a few blocks seeing a softball game, a soccer match, demostrations for and against the war in Iraq, being in awe of Lincoln's memorial, breaking down in tears as you find your relative's name on the Vietnam War memorial, and seeing the flag displayed proudly as you hum Newsboys' anthem "I Am Free", resonating deep in your soul that feeling of excited realization emerging to the surface
- riding the D.C. Metro with all the tourists trying to decipher why the Blue line is faster than the Yellow- Blue line combo from L'Enfant Square to Franconia-Springfield even tho the Blue swings way out westward before coming down according to the out-of-scale map
- driving on I-395 in the HOV lane going as fast as the wind can take me, only to be passed repeatedly by cars that are legitimate hi-performance cars as I toil along in my four-cylinder rice burner listening to XM Radio's channel 32 (The Message) or 81 (BPM)
- San Francisco, Vancouver, Christchurch
- watching cricket and rugby, and the occasional game of croquet just for entertainment
- making a fresh key lime pie, with actual keylimes!
- a fresh bag of original fruit Skittles
- hugging my Mom
- being loved, even when it escapes all rationale, even when you feel as if you are just an inch tall
- expressing the courage and admiration for our fighting men and women (hurry home gang)
- finally, knowing that you are loved, not because of what you do, but because of who you are