“Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
Abraham Lincoln
Reflections on Happiness
Back in 1962, cartoonist Charles Schulz wrote a little
cartoon book and coined a phrase – “Happiness is a Warm Puppy.” [And yes, I’m
old enough to have read it “live,” so to speak]. Times have changed since then and today we
see people not only demanding their “right to be happy,” but running
frantically in every direction looking for something to make them truly happy.
From a very young age, they chase from activity to activity, gadget to gadget,
relationship to relationship certain that the next thing or person they happen
upon is going to be exactly what it takes to make them happy. Friends, spouses,
loved ones struggle with depression claiming that they don’t believe they’ve
ever been happy or ever will be. Someone I love very much tearfully exclaimed
one day, “What is happiness – I have no idea at all what it is or where to find
it.” I don’t make light of such despair – it’s painful to watch someone you
care about wrestle with the darkness and be unable to help. All I could offer
was this poem in response:
WHAT IS HAPPINESS?
What is happiness you ask me?
Far easier to say what it is not.
It’s not love –
though it can lead to it
or come from it.
It’s not joy –
which is a breathtaking kind of elation
born of full awareness,
an enlightened sense
of the rare and unique beauty
of the present moment.
Happiness is not found “out there,”
in the grasping after
or ownership of things or persons.
It’s not something earned or won
like fame or fortune.
It’s not some romanticized quality of life
represented by trilling bluebirds
or colorful rainbows.
It’s not something you get;
it’s something you are
and something you choose.
Happiness, like love and joy,
is a state of being
one chooses for oneself
regardless of circumstance or luck.
It’s a softening and
an opening of one’s heart and soul
that empties them of dissatisfaction,
sadness and regrets that
makes room for love and joy
to fill them up.
It’s a kind of calmness
rather than giddiness,
peace of mind and spirit
rather than elation.
It’s a contented sigh
rather than bawdy laughter.
Happiness is a general cheerfulness
about life and a gentle sense
of satisfaction with who you are.
It’s a stance, a posture we assume
in the face of difficulty or hardship,
a view of life as more good than bad,
more hopeful than despairing.
Happiness just is…
the space we contentedly
have the grace to call our own.
To someone struggling with the darkness of constant
unhappiness, I can only offer what worked for me. I chose poetry and art to
give my own sadness a voice and in doing so, discovered hope and light, joy and
color in what had been a very monochromatic space. Try as I might, I could
seldom let a poem end without a hopeful note, or allow an art work to remain
too dark (I’m forever adjusting the brightness!). And now...I can say that I chose happiness when I chose art.
I don’t think I’m alone in finding light and color an
element in what makes me happy. Take a peek at the incredible color and bold
knife work of the unbelievably talented Mona Edulescu as (EMONA Art) at Fine Art
America. Her paintings absolutely delight my soul and make me feel totally
alive – with happiness. I think Linus would very much agree.
P. S. Speaking of happiness - I've just received my copy of Issue 1, Volume II of Woven Tale Press - featuring the best of the blogs and I'm delighted to say that I'm peripherally featured because one of my images appears in a blog by my beautiful writing friend, Lisa Jewell. You'll find her featured blog and my little sparrow image on page 37. The magazine also included an image of mine on the back inside cover from my art page at Trillium Gallery.
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