It is truly difficult to define Happiness. All one can say or describe is how they relate to it, or how they felt in certain circumstances when they hearts laughed or their eyes smiled; when they being was exalted or their soul was satiated! Well, does it look like I am taking my favourite grammar class- Adjectives class?!! Nah! I wouldn’t do that to you! It’s Synonyms class! Ha ! Ha! Synonyms of Happiness!

Before, we move further…Wish you all a Happy New Year, 2024!

Happiness is not always the beginning of a new year, or a new month or a new day! Happiness can also be a beginning of a new hobby, a new passion or a new idea of life! When I suddenly come across a new dish on TV or in a book, I try it out and when that turns out good, that is happiness for me! When I sit down reading a book or a short story and suddenly I come up with a story in mind, that is happiness for me! There are times when I just look at the moon, or feel a cold gush of air shiver my body, and I write a few lines of poetry, that gives me happiness, indeed!

I could describe happiness in so many different ways, but, that’s not the question! It is telling you, what happiness means to me, or what happiness is in my life, around me, is the point! When I see a beautiful sunrise or sunset, immense happiness engulfs me! When I see a video or reel of a cute baby, it makes my day! When I eat something new , excitement bursts in my palette. Some movies touch my soul and some leave a good feeling in my heart! The excitement in my kids’ eyes when they get something they like, the happiness in a friends’ tone for their achievement, the laughter in your mom’s voice over the phone, when you call her, all adds to happiness, on a daily basis!

On birthdays, holidays or anniversaries, when we go out, to a restaurant, a movie or go to do some activity , it brings happiness to all of us, in my family. We also go out shopping together, most of the times. That’s also one way of spending time with each other, taking each other’s opinion of what we buy, displaying what we bought after reaching home, is all fun, too!

The way my family spends hours sitting together at the lunch table or dinner table every day, and we talk till our throat is parched or the hands are dried up, it gives immense satisfaction of family time. It has never happened since childhood, neither in my parents’ house and does it ever happens in my house now, that we eat separately. However hungry we are , we wait for each other and always eat together. It’s not just a habit or a rule of the house, it is one of the ways of spending moments of happiness in my house! Since I have mentioned eating and food, I should also proudly mention the happiness I feel as a mom when my friends and family praise my daughters for being the best example of kids who never say no to any food served to them or presented in front of them (of course, it has to be vegetarian, though! ). They have never been picky eaters, and they also have a nice knack of praising the food they like too! This pride adds to my happiness, too!

Sometimes some of my friends and acquaintances ask me as to how I brought up such well mannered kids, who speak their mother tongue fluently and have never thrown a fit or tantrum( when they were kids, of course!). I just smile, but do feel elated inside, that I have been lucky to have kids who bring me so much happiness, always! They know how to make the right decisions, and they are capable of managing everything on their own! I not only feel proud of them, but also feel immensely satiated that they have grown up into gracious, brave, lovely and loving girls who respect , not just elders, but human beings in general!

They say that a woman feels happy when she gets all she wants and more! I am sure, it true, not just for woman , for all human beings in general! I feel happy when my husband gets a pat on the back from his parents, when his boss praises him in front of his colleagues, when his friends tell me how much they value him and his friendship! Every moment with him , even when we fight, is a stepping stone to happiness; it gives me a chance to know him better, it helps him to understand me better! Though I don’t tell him often, I do boast about it proudly to my friends and family, that he is a great help around the house. I would happily give him the credit for keeping the house neat and clean, always! He has always been there for me and for our daughters , whenever we needed him or his help, and that is the greatest happiness for any family! Last but not the least, his silly jokes are a part of the smiles and laughs that bounce around the walls of the house, so often!

It is not fair, if I don’t mention my parents and my childhood, when I am talking about happiness . My parents have inculcated happiness in me since childhood! I have not seen my parents fight or shout at each other! I saw them sit and talk , my dad share his office gossip with my mom, my mom talk about her day, it was always cute to see them sit and talk and laugh with each other, on a daily basis.They have always been an ideal couple for me !

My happiness knew no bounds when my dad always brought back comic books for me from his official trips. Also, once a month we would go to a market far from home where there was a book store. My dad would take me to that store and ask me to choose any book I want. It would start with one book but I would always end up buying 4-5 books. That was a father’s way of showering happiness into his little girl’s hand. That’s how my reading habit grew, and that’s how my story telling also sprouted! He took pride in my marks, my grades, my choice of subjects, my studies and all of my other decisions!

If not for my mom’s delicious cooking, I would have never found a love for cooking! She smilingly made all our favourite dishes for every occasion. She not just made them, but made them so yummy, always, with love! Even today, I tell everyone and their mom, that my mom is a great cook! I watched her, admired her, awed at her, for coming up with different varieties of dishes, from different parts of India. And, all this, in an era when there was no TV, no Youtube videos and not many cooking books!

A lot of us do not know that some things we do or don’t do gives us a kind of satisfaction, which is nothing but pleasure to the being! All the achievements of your kids, your spouse, yourself, would always give you a breathe of fresh air, a satisfaction beyond compare. When you stand by your loved ones, in all their good and bad moments, fight for them, along with them, that is a source of big happiness.

I could go on and on about happiness in my life! Happiness around me! I know, I still haven’t talked about my work, my work place , my friends, my friendships, my silly adventures, my garrulous banters, my clichéd poems, my not-so-boring short stories, my hobbies, my pastimes. I haven’t mentioned the teachers who inspired me, brought happiness to my studies; my favourite aunt who inspired me in more ways than one and my grandma, my lifetime inspiration! Well, all that, for another day! Describing one’s happy moments of life, is so emotional and also time taking. So, for now, don’t worry, be happy! Always!