The Happy Page

For the forgotten smiles...

The Happy Page is not just another Facebook page. It is a place where one can easily get lost in while browsing through the illustration, liking some, and sharing others. You may not be able to relate to all of them, but many will make you smile. Sometimes, it’s the bittersweet smile of seeing an illustration of something you loved doing with someone you aren’t friends with anymore.

The page reminds you of the many ways one can be happy. We spend too much time being sad that we sometimes forget what it’s like to smile. In fact there is a page called itsthesadpage which tells you what sadness is. Of course the page leaves you wishing certain things and people never stopped being part of your life. Yet, you can also look at the illustrations and smile that the various moments of sadness are not part of your life.

However, the Happy Page is a great reminder that happiness still exists, surviving many wars, years of hatred and anger and so much injustice. 

My staff transport van drops me at the top of our lane at around seven in the evening. As soon as I get off, the first thing I see is the sight of my mother, grandmother or brother waiting to walk me home. Seeing one of their faces is a moment that makes me extremely happy.

Another moment is when I travel to visit my father. As soon as my brother and I get off our flight, he’ll be waiting for us. It is then that I realize how much I’ve missed him and how much I wish he lived closer to us.

Cooking makes me extremely happy too. I remember once making star fruit jam, which went quite well, although I doubt it tasted that nice. It’s a perfect moment to see the food dished out and people appreciating it.

Silence makes me happy. Not necessarily the silence in a temple, church or library but even the moments of silence when you are on the phone with a friend. Sometimes it’s an open chat box, where you aren’t saying anything anymore, or are just sending emoticons to each other. Or maybe you are just sitting in silence, enjoying each other’s company. All these moments are packed to the brim with joy, and all give a whole new meaning to happiness.

I have a list of the happiest moments of my life; the day I turned 18, the day I got a high mark for a maths exam and the only school prize giving I ever won a prize at. There are longer stories behind why they are so special, but those stories don’t matter. I keep going back to that blog post and remind myself of those moments whenever I’m feeling a bit blue. Everyone should have a list like that, for sometimes we forget to be happy. And we all need reminding.

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