Happiness is …

Once upon a time, there was a young girl, name Mara who lived in a village. The village was small but the people lived in peace and harmony. There were hardly any arguments in the family and between neighbors. Meals are simple and comprised of rice, green vegetable, potatoes and occasionally fish caught from nearby ponds.

Mara grew up with the rest of the children in the village. They loved to run around bare footed, climb the tallest trees and catch fishes and frogs from nearby ponds. Mara had a happy childhood and she loved the village and the villagers very much.

One day, a city dweller happened to pass-by the village and he asked for some water from Mara. Out of curiosity, Mara asked the city dweller how it was in the city. The city dweller told Mara about the tall buildings and the vibrant activities in the city. Mara got excited and wanted to go and see it for herself.

Mara went to the city with the city dweller. A month later, she came back to the village. Her friends were so happy to see her but Mara was not the same anymore. She started to complain about the dirt in her house and that her house and everything in it was so rundown. She felt that her friends were too childish to think of running around everyday. She was longing to return to the city and sulk every single day. Gone was the cheerful, happy Mara. Finally, after some struggling, she decided to pack up and went to live in the city.

Once in the city, Mara found a job that pays her enough to cover her rental in a small room and her meals. Mara started to know some friends and her life got on well. After a while, Mara started to feel that her dressing was too shabby compared to her friends and that she needed more money to buy newer and nicer clothes. She started to look for a new job with higher pay but more hours at work.

A few months later, she felt that she need a bigger room as her current one was too small and rundown, her friends were laughing at her. Yet a few months later, she felt she needed to go the hair salon more often and to go to a more posh restaurant, to live a more stylish lifestyle like her friends. Mara worked harder to get more money each time she wanted to improve her life.

The never ending pursue of material stuff left Mara physically and mentally tired. She started to miss home and of the happy days she had back in the village. One summer, she packed up and went back to her village.

Back in village, Mara now had more time to herself to really think about life. She wondered what happiness is. The more she contemplated, the more she understands the real happiness of life. As she sat on the green grass overlooking the ponds and the blue sky, she wrote in her diary:

I wake up in the morning and hear the birds singing,

I can feel the breeze on my face and the trees are whispering,

I can feel I’m standing on solid ground, strong and steady,

I can see the smile on the faces of my love ones,

I can hear the laughter of the children, loud and heartily,

No comparison, no materialistic, no gossiping,

To be here and now, to be where I am, to be contented with what I have

This is life…this is happiness!