Happiness is… Friends!

Happiness, as a state of mind, or a state we exist in, is in itself a very fair weather friend. You can only find happiness when everything’s going fine. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, tra la la la la la la, everything’s perfect. So, you’re happy.

But what when it’s not all so peachy? What about when every minute of the day drags you down a little more, and your head aches and your feet ache, those days when your very mind hurts from thinking… What defines ‘happy’ then?

It’s quite simple, really. Happiness is… friends. Friends you can fall back on, friends you know will make you smile even in that moment where you’re walking through absolute and utter despair. Friends who worry, friends who care. Who put themselves in the background so that they can be there. Friends who understand, and even when they don’t understand, love and support you, no matter what. No matter what.

Whether we’re talking politics or movies or colors, whether we’re making sense (which is rare) or being completely insane and bizarre (which is more common). Whether they send me smiles from across the table, across the city, or across the globe. Friends who make your world a world just by being in it. Keeping you in that safe bubble of implicit understanding and love, keeping you smiling even those evil days so much so that even a stubbed toe won’t hurt as much, cause there’s people to kiss that iddle widdle boo away, and inundate the guilty table/chair/random hard surface in the choicest swear words. And some days, do the same to people who stub your toes too.

Conversely, friends you’d flip your life inside out for. Friends you’d get up for before any hours of sanity, and friends you stay awake with till it’s closer to morning than night. Doing everything and nothing at all, it’s all equally gratifying, equally satisfying. You come away smiling whether you spent the day howling in laughter or just simply staring out into the distance, in a quiet, amiable silence.

Happiness is …. friends you’re friends with, no matter what.

Friends like the ones I’m lucky enough to have.

Happiness to you too,

Cookie ❤