The quiet side of happiness.
Happiness does not arrive with fanfare.
Happiness does not wake the silence.
Instead it weaves its way between the hours unnoticed,
Like a soft thread woven through the ordinary.
It pauses as the dawn rises,
Waiting quietly to be discovered,
Perhaps within the warmth of a morning stretch or the opening of eyes to the possibilities of the new day.
It lingers in the body after a soothing shower,
It rises in the steam of that first cup of tea.
It is felt in the kindness of a voice that asks for nothing but to listen,
And yet so much time is spent in the search of happiness,
Certain that it will be found around the next corner or within the next chapter.
Happiness is closer,
In the smile of a stranger,
In the comfort of familiar scenes,
In the simplicity of the present.
Happiness is not how much is achieved,
Or a shiny new toy,
But the unassuming existence of calm in the moment.
When we stop searching,
Reaching and grasping,
We will understand,
Happiness is not a destination,
It is the breath that we are having right now.