1999-2019: Celebrating 20 Years of Ripples!
Ripples #1043: Happiness Without Conditions!
May 20, 2019
PEBBLE
I accept life unconditionally. Most people ask for happiness on condition. Happiness can only be felt if you don’t set any condition. -Arthur Rubinstein, shared by Pat in Milwaukee, WI
BOULDER
Happiness is singing together when day is through,
And happiness is those who sing with you.
Happiness is morning and evening,
Daytime and nighttime, too.
For happiness is anyone and anything at all
That’s loved by you.
-Finale, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown
shared by Abby in Cincinnati, OH
PONDER
The weekend included a fun opportunity for me and my sweetie: our neighbor-friend Abby invited us to join her family for a local production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown!” Not only was it a unique version of the show (the music was performed entirely by the characters who each played several instruments), the entire experience was made sweeter with my nostalgia for the show: way back in the 1980s I thoroughly enjoyed playing the role of Snoopy in our high school production.
The storyline zig zags around, highlighting the myriad challenges and joys that inevitably exist as part of a full life. By the end of the show, Charlie Brown and his friends conclude that it is possible to find and savor happiness even with a few annoyances here and there.
It was a lovely, lyrical reminder that we don’t need everything to be perfect in order to experience happiness. Plus, there is a bonus treat waiting for us when we make it a habit to notice and name the ordinary, everyday things that cultivate joy: this process invites gratitude, which leaves us feeling…well, even happier.
“Not bad,” Snoopy sings in one of his solo numbers. “Not bad at all.”
Peace,
Paul
The Ripples Guy
