Hongbo Zhang

Professor Keeler

WR 39A

November 13, 2021 

                                                                                        My happiness

   I like to give all present and future, known or unknown things an own definition.

   For the majority of people, when you ask them what happiness is, their answer are very likely to be the “joyful moments” in life. For instance, the taste of vanilla ice-cream, the sky full of stars, or even seeing your gorgeous puppy when you open your eyes in the morning. To me, happiness is more than joy. Mathematical saying would be happiness “equals to and larger than joy”.

   Ye Qiao, a famous Chinese essayist, novelist, and screenwriter. In her book “two kinds of happiness”, she defines happiness into two kinds - "visible happiness" and "intangible happiness". She believes that visible happiness is the shell, the form, the base and the support. In contrast, Intangible happiness is the core, the content, the sublimation. Without intangible happiness, visible happiness is too super-facial. Without visible happiness, intangible happiness is too hollow.

   Happiness is comprehensive and an aggregate. Bertrand Russell once said, “To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.” With a smile and inner satisfaction, happiness flows slowly across the long river of our life like a clear and warm current. The couriers who deliver the “happiness package” are the "relationships and bonds".

   "Hello, I'm family. There's a happiness delivery waiting for you to sign."

   I still remember that I was at a lost and lonely boy when I left home for the first time at the age of fourteen to study aboard in America. The first time I took a flight to a strange country with two big suitcases and a blue backpack with no family member accompanied. Back in 2016, "Rap of China" had just come to an end, and some touching songs from the show played in some Chinese restaurants made me want to cry. Mrs. Swanigan, my high school English teacher, once assigned us the essay title as “homesick”. At that night when I came home after school, I sat on chair thinking what do I miss. I thought about my mother’s smiling face every morning, I thought about my father’s warm hugs, I thought about my two cute puppies back home, and I thought about the song “Five Hundred Miles”. Hearing the lyrics “Away from home, away from home. lord, I’m five hundred miles away from home”, I looked out through the window, starring at the stars, my face covered by tears. What kind of emotion is homesickness? Do I truly miss the home or just that comfortable zone of me being familiar with everything around?

   I didn't know my answer to this question until my friend sobbed out her sadness to me. Her grandfather passed away. I’ve been knowing her since a child which I understand how painful this must be to her. I burst into tears and instantly remembered my grandfather. Although he is always worried about the time bomb of leukemia recurrence, he treats his life the best he could. As my mother always wished "the greatest happiness I wish for this year is that my family always be safe and happy." every time when we go to the temples during new year festival. This is also my greatest happiness. It's a kind of happiness to eat noodles and fried rice with eggs cooked by my mother again. It's a kind of happiness to sit in the courtyard playing chess with my father. It's a kind of happiness to drink tea with my grandparents and have a conversation imagining what my future life will be like. It's a kind of happiness to have a long walk with my dogs and watch them chasing after each other. I’m always inspired by their innocence. All family companionship is happiness to me.

   However, this happiness, which is supposed to be very simple, gradually becomes more and more difficult and precious with aging. This “luxury” happiness, I hope we all can cherish before they fade away.

   "Hello, I'm friendship. There's a happiness delivery waiting for you to sign."