The happiest day of my life
If asked about the happiest day of one’s life, most people will refer to big events like the day they got married or the birth of their children. Which is understandable as those are specific days you remember among with just being a huge turning point in most people's lifes.
Those kind of days are important to me as well, but I am actually reluctant to call them the happiest days of my life. I don’t believe any specific day should be the best day, as that seems reductive and kind of sad if one’s happiness is hinged on specific days in the past.
Today was the happiest day of my life. Or more like one of many, and I just happen to note this one down on my public blog. Not because anything remarkable happened today, and objectively I have many similar days and will in the future. To me happiness is about finding appreciation in the everyday mundane routines of just living. It is just important to remember to notice and appreciate those days, and I would argue it is even more important than the days with big pivotal events.
Today was a Saturday, weather was pleasantly warm without being hot and we didn't have any plans as such. Our youngest daughter went to a birthday party at one of her classmates, and while she was there we went to a couple of thrift stores with our oldest daughter. I didn’t buy anything, but I did enjoy browsing through old DVDs and Blu-rays. After picking our youngest daughter up again from the birthday, she got a playdate with another classmate and she stayed for dinner as well. We got some chicken with pasta, all five of us went for an evening walk, we got her friend home, and as I am writing this everyone else is sleeping. I have just finished watching an interesting spaghetti western accompanied with my favorite Italian beer and looking forward to tomorrow, where we will drive to my mother’s summerhouse and leave the kids there for a few hours, so my wife and I can go out for a little lunch by ourselves.
While I would refuse to label a very specific day as the happiest day of my life, days like this are were I am most happy. If I remember to notice and appreciate them while they are happening. While some days are better than others, I think appreciating the day to day of simply living is where true happiness lies.
To quote Ferris Bueller:
Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it