“Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.” ~John Barrymore
We often talk about wanting happiness, but what is it that really makes us happy? I am sure we can all name a few things right off the top of our head, like financial freedom, good health, or a wonderful relationship. Those things may make us happy, but there is something so wonderful about connecting with another human being and making their day that just about beats all else on the happiness scale. Let me share with you a story about what happened today in our office; we have this wonderful elderly woman who comes in every couple of months, she is always smiling and chuckling and you cannot help but to smile when she talks to you. She came in to the office today and I heard her talking to one of the assistants about how people think she is a bit strange because she always is “up” and says nice things to people about anything that comes up and laughs a lot. Our assistant said that he likes to be that way too and this woman laughed and told him that was great and how much she enjoyed seeing him and then headed down the hall. As she passed my office door I said hello and she noticed that I had a little puppy in my office (we just got her yesterday and she is too little to leave alone so she was in a crate under my desk for the day). I asked her if she would like to pet her and of course she said “yes” and started to pet the little puppy, who responded so lovingly with kisses which this woman loved and put the puppy to her face and said “you know they say that animals have unconditional love and that they make you feel so good.” She then began to tell me that she never got to have a dog or cat when she was young, but she did have a stuffed rabbit and she loved dolls and still does. I shared that my mother also loves dolls and has her house decorated with them, Her dolls all have names and at the different holidays she dresses them up accordingly and her neighbors come over and love to see all of her dolls. They are part of my mother’s life, she loves these dolls and talks to them as if they can hear her, they are her company. Now this woman’s eyes lit up and she shared that she also loved her dolls and that when she would travel she would take one with her because it made her feel good, and she talks a lot to them and also her stuffed rabbit. She thanked me for telling her about my mother because she thought that people would think she was crazy if they knew how much she loved her dolls and stuffed rabbit and it was nice to see that I thought it was wonderful that my mother had dolls in her life and that it wasn’t strange at all. If I could have sold the smile on this woman’s face, I would be a very rich person, and what did it cost me to bring this joy to her (not to mention how it made me feel). Nothing, but sharing my puppy’s love and a story about my own mother’s life with her. I have to tell you, there is nothing that makes you feel happier than to bring happiness to someone else. Here it is eight hours later and I still have those fuzzy warm feelings just picturing her face. Today was a reminder to me to try not to miss out on those opportunities to connect with others, it is such a wonderful thing and I do not want to miss out on experiences like this.
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