When a child asks, 'What is happiness?'

The image is of a moth orchid, whose flower language is 'happiness comes flying.'
I was talking about this flower language with my wife.

My child asked,
'Hey, what is happiness?'

I was a little surprised.
I hadn't expected such a question to come from those young lips.

But at the same time,
'This is an important question.'
I felt that way.

I paused, trying to explain happiness.
As adults, we tend to talk about happiness in terms of:
・Money
・Success
・Stability
・Recognition
We tend to talk about it with words like those.

But is it right to pass that on to a child just like that?
No, even before that,
I don't truly live my life believing that is happiness.

Thinking that, I stopped myself from rushing to an answer.

The 'happiness' I want to convey to my child

Happiness isn't,
having every day be fun.
It isn't about having days without anything unpleasant.

Even if there are days when things don't go well,
and days when you are sad, frustrated, and want to cry,
even then,
'Well, I guess today is just one of those days.'
being able to think that.

And,
being able to laugh with someone,
having someone listen to you,
and feeling that you have a place where you belong.

A state where those kinds of moments
are scattered throughout your life
is what I think of as happiness.

Adults often say,
'Let's do our best to become happy.'

But I,
don't think happiness is a goal to aim for.
Happiness is,

the power to notice what you already have.
And,
the attitude of nurturing that little by little.
Rather than counting what you lack,

it's about whether you can feel what you have right now.
That is the way to find true happiness.
Happiness is,

not something you receive from someone else.
It's not something you win by comparing yourself to others.
You can decide what it is based on how you feel,

and it's okay if that changes along the way.
Right now, facing you like this,

spending the same time together,
and talking about trivial things.
I,

'Ah, I'm happy.'
am thinking that.
That is,

my own answer.
Thank you for reading until the end.

I hope to see you in another article.
🍀May you be happy🍀