Have you ever longed for a sudden pang of happiness? A short burst of joy effulging your heart with such a warmth which you have not experienced in wholesome years?
Like the one you get when you free a pigeon from its cage, see it fly with grandeur high up in sky? Or when you taste the balmy winds along the sea-shores, or kiss the cheek of your soldier brother as he returns from war?
Can you find the whiffs of solace when you sniff a baby’s head? Does the sweet scent make you happy, when you embrace a newly-born with compassionate strength?
When you cuddle your loved one, lying on a couch; do you feel how illuminating it turns out to be? A little peck on your neck and a sniff that does its wonder… can you feel the brightness it holds?
The scent of new book, of Valentine’s Day rose; a cup of coffee with your long-lost friend, have they ever enchanted you?
A kiss in rain, walking with hands in hand, holding your high school yearbook, reading text from special one; the sip of lemonade on a hot brooding summer day or a warm piece of quilt on a numb winter evening; the crunching of paper when you open your Christmas parcel, the sweet aroma of Vermicelli that your mom cooks on Eid; the soft fur of your pet and a cold nose that wakes you up every morning… did you ever stopped to take in the moment- holding onto them for they, once lost, can never be retrieved?
The beautiful cacophony of thrushes and robins in the mornings, and the charming chirps of crickets at night; did you ever find happiness in the music of flowing streams, and of leaves as they crunch beneath your feet?
The magic, that happens when you look onto your old photographs and try to reminisce the forgotten moments; have you ever felt that? Do you feel contented when you climb trees or swim in a cool lake?
The aroma of chocolate muffins coked by your grandma…the colour of your father’s skin when you greet him back from work… the sweetness of popsicles and the bitterness of broccoli… the pleasant perfume of orchards and the gardens of your homes… The naughtiness of your kitten and the faithfulness of your pup…
The dreams of fairylands; of superheroes and villains… the petrichor of rain and the bruises that come as an aftermath of playing in it… the awe of sunrise and the ooh of sunset… a smile from a total stranger as he passes by…
A small token of appreciation; a hug and a pat on back… A friendly kick by your best mate and a kiss from your child…
The music of childhood and nursery rhymes… the stories that were told by your elders at night…
The sound of tides as they roll drumming the shorelines, the bewitching stars at night or a full moon highly bright… the green colored lawns and blue colored sky… the tinkling of your bicycle and the scent of kebabs…
The fizz of soda and the clamour of morning-alarm, the bursting fireworks and a balloon in your hand… the shyness of touch-me-not and the boldness of rose… the anger of dragonflies and the meekness of caterpillars… the sight of butterflies and the charm of toys… a clockwork mouse or a wooden doll…
These are the sources of happiness which no other thing can replace. These are the sources of happiness which we solemnly ignore.
We keep on complaining that we are unhappy for we neglect the small details that stud contentment in the days of our lives.
So the next time you fee low, look around you. The gustatory, tactile and olfactory pangs of happiness. The auditory and visual pangs of happiness. The nonredeemable and nowhere-else found pangs of happiness. The ignored, forgotten and underestimated pangs of happiness. The low at cost and high in effect pangs of happiness. These are the real pops of joy that bead into a fine piece of jewelry you call ‘life’… and these are the glimmers of hope for not-at-peace minds.