For me, HAPPINESS is:
Being alive and being healthy. Appreciate it. Every. Single. Day.
Love – this is not the exclusive reserve of couples. Love yourself (a lot, if the mood takes you. Err hheerrm), breathing, fruit, creatures – except the likes of snakes/cockroaches/earworms/penis-burrowing fish, and their ilk (that’ll get you nowhere). Your world, your city, family and friends, food, wine, the sea. You get the picture.
The sun on my face.
Travel – meeting people and finding out about different cultures, seeing the world from a different angle. Breathing different air, eating different food, talking different languages (even if really, really badly). Travel is the world’s best classroom.
Laughter.
Music – ALL of it. Especially live. (Though probably death, thrash metal a smidge less than jazz or funk or pop)
My nieces and nephews – they are my little (or not so little anymore) rays of sunshine. My midlife meltdown was softened yesterday, by recorded chirruping happy birthday messages, a guitar/vocal rendition of Viva La Vida by video and a mention on Instagram.
Freedom.
The total escapism of cinema.
Sleeping through the night.
And……….
Happy International Day of Happiness.
Smile.
Xx
The Secret Diary of Anne Pank 