Happiness and Contentment

Justine, Chris Mae, Me, and Aiza @ Camp 7, Baguio City (May 4, 2008)

Justine, Chris Mae, Aiza, and Me @ Pozorrubio, Pangasinan (May 5, 2008)

@Jollibee Magsaysay, Baguio City.. with Justine and Chris Mae

I have always been very observant about how people give meaning to the word happiness and contentment. Little kids have the simplest meaning I guess. For them, it may just mean having a new toy or simply being with their loved ones. Moreover, such simplicity of definition directly varies with their experiences as they grow up. I remember when I was yet seemingly innocent little girl in my school uniform. Just like anyone in the school I also had friends I use to share my kiddy crimes with- things that made my grade school and high school years so much enjoyable and memorable. Every time I am with them, life seems to be so light giving no room to worries. We were like very contented about our lives when we were together witlessly laughing at anything we could think of. We just let our feet take us to anywhere and just enjoy each others’ company. We would love to stay in a place the longest hour possible for us to be together though it may mean missing some of our class hours. We talk about how to deal with our not so honorable and dreary teachers. We plan about how to beat our enemies and kick their butt off us. There really are lots to cherish about being a child. Of course, children also do cry as old ones do. But those child-like attributes like forgiveness, humility, meekness, submissiveness and their strong yearning for learning draws the line between the young and the old ones. I observed how easily a child forgives another no matter how hard they cried for pain and disappointment. I wish sometimes that our then semi-corrupted minds should have stayed in that condition. That idea however is just so impossible and awful. My friends and I need to grow up. Those memories were part of our innocence just like every one of us pass through the same state. We may call ourselves grown ups now but we still cry for reasons that are sometimes so difficult to understand. We went separate ways after high school graduation. We bid farewells but promised to keep our friendship alive. We lived different lives and met new friends. We had our hearts broken and some dreams not realized. It is funny though how we become like kids again when we get to see each other and have some time to talk like crazy about our current lives. We recently had a get together and I got used to them cracking jokes at me on how boring my life seemed for them. We are now absolutely different from who we were eight years ago. Our experiences and challenges through the years and how we were able to deal with them determined how we think and who we are right now. Sometimes I feel that I had dedicated much of my time helping other people. I use to deal with different people and share with them thoughts on how to deal with life’s adversaries and complications. It makes me happy and contented to help and see other people’s eyes glow with renewed hope that their lives would be better. I realized, however, I couldn’t do the same for myself and just wished somebody would also extend a hand. Sometimes I couldn’t help it to feel bad every time I feel alone, hopeless and helpless. I believe every one of us have our own share of problems and oppositions to face though. Both young and old, nobody’s exempted. They just vary with our situations. But just like any problems in the world, our reaction towards them is all that matters in the long run. Because it is through winning the challenges in our lives that we could give HAPPINESS and CONTENTMENT meanings that would best describe how far we’ve been through the race called life. Otherwise, these two words could hardly be defined.